Matthew Waring / Unsplash A month-long national prayer vigil kicked off this week with an invitation to Christians across the UK to begin 2026 by praying for spiritual renewal, unity and direction for the nation. The initiative is being led by National Day of Prayer and Worship (NDOPW) and runs from 5 January to 5 February, bringing together churches and individuals from across denominations, regions and traditions in round-the-clock prayer. The vision, shared by NDOPW Founder and Convenor, Pastor Jonathan Oloyede, is for “every hour, every day, every believer in every church to flood heaven with prayer -believing the Holy Spirit for renewal, peace, and healing across the UK and Ireland throughout 2026”.  Participants will be able to join daily online prayer rooms, take part in local gatherings, and connect with coordinated intercessory networks focused on communities, national life and global concerns, throughout January. Pastor Oloyede said that the timing of the vigil reflects a growing hunger for spiritual depth and cooperation among churches. “We believe the Lord is calling His Church to pray as one: one cry across the land, one heart before God, and one continuous offering of prayer. This is not about one ministry or movement, but the whole Body of Christ, churches, prayer networks, denominations, and independent intercessors, intentionally connected in prayer," he said.  NDOPW has been organising national prayer initiatives since 2006, when thousands assembled at Wembley Stadium for its first major event. Since then, the movement has expanded into a year-round rhythm of online prayer, including daily sessions at 7am and 7pm, virtual prayer nights every month, and extended prayer vigils that draw participants both in person and online. Organisers say the New Year vigil builds on a year of growing engagement with prayer, as well as the recent successful Christmas outreach led by Shine Your Light, which mobilised thousands of churches across the UK and Ireland and reached more than three million people through over 2,000 public events in mid-December. Events ranged from carol services in shopping centres, markets and sports stadiums to workplace outreach, street evangelism and community-based celebrations. The campaign launched with a high-profile carol service at the Royal Albert Hall, hosted by The Salvation Army, drawing an audience of 5,000 people. Additional exposure came through national media, including a dedicated episode of Songs of Praise, while a recorded carol service was broadcast in prisons and homeless shelters over the Christmas period. Pastor Oloyede said, “This month-long vigil is an invitation to seek God together for a fresh outpouring of the Holy Spirit in 2026 and, to continue to break down denominational barriers as Christians from different churches gather together locally to pray for their communities, the nation and what God is doing across the globe.” The scale of engagement during December encouraged organisers as they prepared for the New Year prayer focus. Pastor Oloyede shared: “Throughout the year we sensed the Holy Spirit momentum building. Attendance at our daily 7am and 7pm online prayer rooms grew steadily, with hundreds gathering regularly, and our 72-hour prayer vigils were supported by churches and thousands of individuals from all four nations.” He added that churches involved in Shine Your Light have reported refreshed boldness in evangelism, with many lay Christians taking steps they previously felt hesitant about — including public testimony, digital outreach and one-to-one conversations about faith. Local church leaders have also spoken of deeper collaboration at town and city level, with congregations sharing resources and planning outreach together for the first time. Organisers say the January vigil is intended not only as a continuation of that unity, but as a moment to pause, listen and pray intentionally for the year ahead. “As we enter a new season, we believe the Lord is calling us to go deeper, to press in for transformation in our communities, in our government, and in the hearts of people across the UK," Pastor Oloyede said. Originally published by Christian Today

(LifeSiteNews) — Catholic speaker Jason Evert spoke with LifeSite editor-in-chief John-Henry Westen about the unexpected, miraculous healing of his 21-year-old son after he had been diagnosed with cancer, in an exclusive interview. Evert, a prominent Catholic chastity speaker, described receiving the heartbreaking news that John Paul, his oldest son, had been diagnosed with stage 2 Hodgkin lymphoma on Christmas Eve and would need to undergo chemotherapy and other treatment. But, after thousands of faithful offered prayers for him as he began treatment, including a group of Franciscan friars who prayed for the cancer to be “melted” in the hospital, a biopsy that stunned the doctors showed no cancer present, but instead a highly treatable fungal infection. Remarkably, during surgery after the doctors had revised their diagnosis, they noticed that the growth masses that had previously been found near his chest and collarbone had liquified. “We just started storming Heaven of just getting on social media, asking everyone imaginable to pray, and then we asked the Franciscan Friars of the Holy Spirit… to come pray over John Paul, and they came to the hospital room,” Evert said. “The friars started praying over him… with this authority and boldness, that was really humbling to me, and they just rolled in there… (praying) ‘God, we renounce the spirit of cancer, and we rebuke this cancer, and we ask that it be melted.'” Evert noted that he and his wife, Crystalina, had shared posts about the friars praying across social media, and spread awareness of John Paul’s illness through various Catholic sites, to increase prayers for their son. Just a few days after the friars had prayed over John Paul, the doctors performed the biopsy that showed that there was no cancer present. “The oncologist came in, and… they were just perplexed, and they said, ‘Well, we need to reverse our diagnosis, the initial diagnosis must not have been correct, because John Paul has what appears to be no cancer,'” he recalled. “And the pathology reports came in, and turned out that initial diagnosis of 99 percent cancer is not the fact (but) he does have a fungal infection, that he’s going to need to have treated, but (that’s) a heck of a lot easier than with chemotherapy.” READ: Chastity speaker Jason Evert has been targeted by ‘witches,’ had tomato soup dumped on him “When (the doctors) cut open the mass there, it was liquefied, and that just kind of hit me, because I remember the friar (said), ‘We pray this be melted.'” Later in the interview, Evert also told Westen how, from the beginning of the initial cancer diagnosis, he and his wife had to offer their sufferings to God, knowing that He would bring glory out of the situation regardless of what would happen. “I told (Crystalina), and she just broke down in tears, and we hugged, and the first thing that came out of her mouth was, ‘Glory be to the Father, to the Son, to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be world without end, Amen,'” he said. “I (thought), ‘Wow, I picked the right person to go to war with,’… May God be glorified in this, and whatever the outcome may be.'” “We asked for a miracle, but to be thrust into this, and have God’s providence work through it, I have so much peace at it, because it’s all Him, I have nothing to do with this whole thing,” he added. “I was just kind of a witness to the whole thing, along with my wife, and now the whole world, but… her prayer from the beginning (was), that God would be glorified through this, and it’s remarkable how much more work He can do when we just let Him, instead of trying to grasp and do everything on our own.” Around the same time as John Paul’s diagnosis, Catholic influencer Paul Kim, who is known for sharing Catholic truths through social media, had shared that his five-year-old son Micah had been suffering from a “severe” case of the flu and was taken to the hospital. READ: Tragic death of Catholic speaker’s young son prompts massive outpouring of prayers, support Kim and several notable Catholics, including the Everts, had spread the news, urging the faithful to pray for a miracle. The Kim family received an outpouring of support from Catholics and non-Catholics alike, with even mainstream media outlets reporting on the case. Tragically, Micah was soon placed on life support after an MRI showed extensive brain damage, and Kim announced on New Year’s Day that he had passed away a day earlier. “Micah Joseph is beginning the new year basking in the never-ending glory, love, and peace of God,” he wrote in an Instagram post. “Micah has been very busy already, as I see the Lord using him and sending him on missions to bring millions of people closer to God.” To hear the full story of John Paul Evert’s miraculous healing from cancer, stay tuned for/watch the full video interview.

CHARLOTTE, North Carolina (LifeSiteNews) — Over 30 priests of the Diocese of Charlotte have submitted questions to the Vatican regarding restrictions on liturgical practices issued by Bishop Michael Martin, including a ban on the use of altar rails and kneelers for Holy Communion. The dubia, signed by 31 priests who make up about a quarter of the clergy in the Diocese of Charlotte, was submitted to the Dicastery for Legislative Texts on January 5, according to The Pillar, which obtained the letter. Two-thirds of the signatories are reportedly pastors. Bishop Martin’s recently issued “pastoral” instruction on Holy Communion prompted the dubia, the letter notes. This directive from Martin ordered that ​​“The use of altar rails, kneelers, and prie-dieus are not to be utilized for the reception of Communion in public celebrations by January 16, 2026.” It also commanded churches to remove all “temporary or movable fixtures used for kneeling” for Holy Communion by January 16. The dubia also references draft instruction from Bishop Martin leaked this past summer in which he condemns the use of Latin, priests praying before and after Mass, kneeling for Holy Communion, ornate vestments, and the use of any traditional acts of reverence by priests in cleansing the sacred vessels. “Both the leaked letter from this past summer and the pastoral letter of December 17 have caused a great deal of concern amongst the priests and faithful of the Diocese of Charlotte, especially in those parishes that have allowed the faithful to use an altar rail or prie-dieu for the reception of Holy Communion,” said the letter accompanying the dubia. The letter from the Charlotte priests asks the Vatican whether Bishop Martin can ban the use of altar rails where they are already being used by parishioners to receive Holy Communion. It also questions “whether a diocesan bishop may prohibit the use of kneelers to assist members of the faithful who, of their own accord, wish to receive Holy Communion kneeling.” Pointing out that the General Instruction of the Roman Missal (GIRM) expressly permits kneeling to receive Holy Communion, the letter asks, “As a pastoral provision, may a parochus or rector in charge of a church or oratory place a kneeler or kneelers to accommodate the latter option of those who, of their own accord, wish to receive Holy Communion while kneeling?” The dubia additionally asks whether a bishop may prohibit the erection of altar rails and order the removal of those already in place. It points to the GIRM’s statement that the sanctuary “should be appropriately marked off from the body of the church either by its being somewhat elevated or by a particular structure and ornamentation.” (GIRM 295) “Attention must therefore be paid to what is determined by this General Instruction and by the traditional practice of the Roman Rite and to what serves the common spiritual good of the People of God, rather than private inclination or arbitrary choice’ (GIRM 42),” the letter continues. “Since an altar rail is a common and traditional ‘structure and ornamentation’ that marks off the sanctuary from the body of the church within the Roman Rite, it is asked whether a diocesan bishop has the legitimate authority to prohibit the erection of altar rails within churches or other sacred places in his diocese,” the Charlotte priests wrote in their dubia. The letter also asks, in reference to Bishop Martin’s leaked draft instruction, whether a bishop may ban priests from wearing certain vestments which are not otherwise prohibited by Church law. In the document leaked this past summer, Martin forbade the use of birettas, crossed stoles, maniples, ornate albs, or Roman chasubles, since they “are seen and understood by the faithful as a clear sign of a priest celebrant who prefers the liturgical (and possibly theological) life of the Church prior to Vatican II given that these vestments have not been seen in most churches around the world since the 1960s.” The priests therefore asked whether a bishop may prohibit liturgical “elements such as prayers, gestures, chants or ornaments on the grounds that such elements are commonly associated with the pre-Vatican II celebration of the Mass,” given that such traditional practices and vestments are supported by the General Instruction and Redemptionis Sacramentum. Martin’s diocese-wide orders to abandon the use of altar rails and kneelers has stirred up a storm of controversy in part because they help the elderly and those with other physical impediments to receive Holy Communion while kneeling, and these orders will have the effect of forcing some people to receive the Eucharist while standing. Liturgist Dr. Peter Kwasniewski recently affirmed that “even according to the rules that govern the Novus Ordo, there is absolutely no basis for a bishop to oppose the use or the construction of altar rails in churches.” He shared a catechesis on altar rails showing that they “have a basis in the historical and theological dimensions of the Mass, and may be utilized and even promoted, in light of recent legislation.” While Martin has claimed that it is “absurd” to “instruct the faithful that kneeling is more reverent than standing,” he admitted in his pastoral letter that certain liturgical practices and “ritual elements” such as “music, vestments,” and “use of incense” can mark Masses with “greater reverence.” He noted this under the title “The Principle of Progressive Solemnity.”  Most importantly, Scripture itself highlights bending of the knee as a gesture of reverence proper to Our Lord Jesus Christ. “That in the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those that are in heaven, on earth, and under the earth,” St. Paul wrote in the Letter to the Philippians (2:10). As God Himself, the Eucharist deserves nothing less than a posture of profound reverence. Whereas the posture of kneeling is proper to worship of God Himself, standing is a posture one uses when interacting with an equal.  Furthermore, a recent study confirmed that traditional liturgical practices regarding the Eucharist, including the manner in which He is received, increase belief in the Real Presence of Our Lord in the Eucharist. In fact, Dr. Natalie Lindemann, the author of the study, suggested reinstalling altar rails and offering kneelers during Holy Communion at churches to increase belief in the Real Presence.

City officials in Houston, Texas, will now allow a local minister to preach the Gospel at a local bus terminal after rescinding their ban on his ministry.  For nearly two years, Howard Camp ministered outside a Houston bus terminal, often preaching, praying, sharing encouragement, and handing out food and water to people passing by.  According to the American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ), his ministry was abruptly shut down last September when Houston METRO police approached and ordered him to get a "permit."   Camp questioned authorities about his need for a permit while exercising his First Amendment rights in a public space. Officers informed Camp that the bus terminal was "private property" and handcuffed and detained him.  Officers not only issued a criminal trespass warning but also told Camp that if he ever came back to preach the Gospel again, he would be arrested. "Shockingly, no specific law was cited. No actual rule was identified as having been violated. No disruption had occurred. Mr. Camp faced the ongoing threat of arrest and criminal prosecution merely for peacefully sharing his Christian faith in what is unquestionably a public space," wrote Liam R. Harrell, Associate Counsel with the ACLJ.  "This is precisely the kind of government overreach and viewpoint discrimination that the First Amendment was designed to prevent – and exactly when the ACLJ steps in to fight back," he continued.  The ACLJ sent a demand letter on behalf of Camp, citing that METRO violated his constitutional rights and requested "immediate corrective action," which included the removal of the trespass notice and clarification of METRO's speech-related policies. ***Please sign up for CBN Newsletters and download the CBN News app to receive the latest news from a distinctly Christian perspective.*** "Mr. Camp's activities—preaching, distributing religious literature, and sharing his religious beliefs—constitute core protected speech under the First Amendment. The act of distributing literature and engaging in one-on-one conversations with willing listeners is a time-honored form of protected expression," reads the letter. It continues, "Mr. Camp's activities fall squarely within this tradition. He was not engaging in obstructing pedestrian or vehicular traffic or creating any genuine disruption. He was simply sharing his beliefs with the public in a peaceful, non-coercive manner. Such conduct is precisely what the First Amendment was designed to protect." METRO was given until December 10, 2025, to respond to the demand letter.  In late December, the ACLJ reported that METRO rescinded the trespass warning issued against Camp and also provided formal written clarification of its policy regarding the use of amplification at outdoor METRO facilities. METRO's letter specifically acknowledged that Mr. Camp is now "free to return to any METRO terminal and exercise his First Amendment rights," and noted that its Code of Conduct does not prohibit speech, preaching, or religious expression at outdoor terminals.  According to the ACLJ, their written statement is a binding policy that ensures they can no longer enforce "phantom rules, unwritten restrictions, or selectively applied standards to silence speech that officials personally oppose." "This means government officials were compelled to acknowledge in writing the constitutional limits on their authority – and they did. That matters tremendously for Mr. Camp and for every other citizen who seeks to exercise their First Amendment rights in Houston's public spaces," Harrell wrote in a public update.  The ACLJ attorney noted the legal group will continue its "unwavering defense of religious liberty and free speech in public spaces across this nation." "This fight is far from over, but today we celebrate an important victory for freedom," he expressed. 

(LifeSiteNews) — First of all, what is the heresy of Modernism? It’s important to understand that this essay refers to the formally declared heresy of Modernism—not “modernism” in the artistic, cultural, political, or purely philosophical usages of the word. Modernism in Catholic theological doctrine, however, is indeed a heresy—a heresy that progressive-minded Catholics often dally with, and that tradition-minded Catholics have always avoided like the plague. Modernism was present in our Church for a long time before Pope Saint Pius X officially condemned it as a heresy in 1907. Its presence in the Church had grown significantly during the 19th century and into the early 20th. The Church’s 1907 condemnation of Modernism as a heresy stifled its 20th century growth, at least superficially, for a generation or two, but the specter of Modernism never ceased haunting the corridors of the Vatican until Modernism itself broke forth big-time, in the open, in the Church’s teachings in the Second Vatican Council (1962-65). It is difficult to get an exact, literal handle on the content of Modernism in Catholic theological doctrine, precisely because of what theological Modernism is. When Saint Pius X condemned it as a heresy in 1907, he was condemning it in all of its manifestations, pre-1907 and on into the indefinite future. Igino Giordani, the biographer of Saint Pius X, explained the Modernism that plagued Saint Pius X’s papal reign (1903-1914) in words that apply to our present-day encounters with it: Modernism consisted principally in a state of mind and way of life that sought to make over Christianity, rationalistically explaining away its difficulties to make the religion acceptable to the thinking of the day. [Emphasis added.] Because Modernism seeks to make “the thinking of the day” an influential criterion for discerning Catholic truths, the content of Modernist thought about Catholic truths will vary with “the thinking of the day.” Think about it: accessing the thinking of the day in order to reconcile our Church with the modern world means there can be no fixed eternal Catholic Truth at all in Modernist thought. Modernist thought changes with the times to conform to the times. It is what Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger (who became Pope Benedict XVI) was referencing when he cautioned against an unrestrained and unfiltered openness to “the wisdom of the world” which (the Bible tells us) God regards as “foolishness.” Thus, the very essence of the heresy of Modernism. Pope Pius X: “Modernism is the synthesis of all heresies.” pic.twitter.com/o8HOxKYEyV — Sign of the Cross (@CatholicSOTC) January 3, 2026 Saint Pius X defined Modernism as ‘the synthesis of all heresies’ Saint Pius X, in paragraph 39 of his encyclical Pascendi Dominic Gregis, seemed to touch upon and even invoke the very theme of Modernism as the unrestrained and unfiltered openness to the wisdom of the world, and thus making Catholicism acceptable to the world’s ever-changing “wisdom”: It may be, Venerable Brethren, that some may think We have dwelt too long on this exposition of the doctrines of the Modernists. But it was necessary, both in order to refute their customary charge that We do not understand their ideas, and to show that their system does not consist in scattered and unconnected theories but in a perfectly organised body, all the parts of which are solidly joined so that it is not possible to admit one without admitting all. For this reason, too, We have had to give this exposition a somewhat didactic form and not to shrink from employing certain uncouth terms in use among the Modernists. And now, can anybody who takes a survey of the whole system be surprised that We should define it as the synthesis of all heresies? Were one to attempt the task of collecting together all the errors that have been broached against the faith and to concentrate the sap and substance of them all into one, he could not better succeed than the Modernists have done.” [Emphasis added.] What, then, is the “sap and substance” that the heresy of Modernism shares with all other heresies? The determination to make “the thinking of the day” a decisive criterion for discerning religious truth seems to fit the bill. As does an unrestrained and unfiltered openness to “the wisdom of the world.” The sly and tacit ‘demise’ of the heresy of Modernism Ever since the Second Vatican Council, the heresy of Modernism (especially as sagely understood in paragraph 39 of Pascendi) has been a growing phenomenon within our Catholic Church. During that same period of time, Modernism as a heresy has been a matter of rapidly diminishing concern to the hierarchy of our Catholic Church (as incongruous as that might seem at first glance). Few if any of our current Catholic hierarchy write about or even mention Modernism as a genuine heresy. Interestingly, Cardinal Ratzinger’s past writings may have influenced the minds of many of the members of today’s Catholic hierarchy to agree sub rosa (i.e., never to be disclosed publicly) that Saint Pius X should never have defined Modernism as a heresy in the first place. It seems as if the current hierarchy of our Catholic Church has begun to agree with Cardinal Ratzinger’s past writings and thus regard the Second Vatican Council as having somehow tacitly “repealed” on the sly and without saying so (i.e., a completely specious “repeal”) our Church’s settled 1907 dogma condemning Modernism as a heresy. Cardinal Ratzinger on the intent motivating the Vatican II documents Back in 1982 Cardinal Ratzinger, who had been an influential peritus (i.e., expert theological advisor) at the Second Vatican Council, authored some astonishing statements in his seminal treatise Principles of Catholic Theology. In the epilogue at the end of that 1982 treatise, Cardinal Ratzinger wrote (and these are his exact words): “Not every valid council in the history of the Church has been a fruitful one; in the last analysis many of them have been just a waste of time,” and in the very next sentence he wrote that “the last word about the historical value of Vatican Council II has yet to be spoken.” He then went on to suggest that the documents of the Second Vatican Council, and especially its centerpiece, Gaudium et Spes (the “Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World”), were intended to “correct” what he called “the one-sidedness of the position adopted by the Church under Pius IX and Pius X” (the popes whose Syllabi of Errors and encyclicals warned against the dangers of Liberalism and the heresy of Modernism). This is hard to describe as anything but a remarkably cavalier and dismissive characterization of Blessed Pius IX’s warnings about the dangers to our Church in Liberalism and a beyond-cavalier-and-dismissive characterization of Saint Pius X’s dogmatic condemnation of Modernism as a heresy. These are Cardinal Ratzinger’s words: If it is desirable to offer a diagnosis of the text [of Gaudium et Spes, i.e., Vatican II’s Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World] as a whole, we might say that (in conjunction with the texts on religious liberty and world religions) it is a revision of the Syllabus of Pius IX, a kind of countersyllabus. In a footnote to the above-quoted passage, Cardinal Ratzinger explained that “[t]he position taken in the Syllabus [of Pius IX] was adopted and continued in Pius X’s struggle against ‘Modernism’.” Saint Pius X’s dogmatic condemnation of Modernism as a heresy and the synthesis of all heresies is to be understood as a mere “struggle” against Modernism?! Cardinal Ratzinger then continued in his main text: [T]he text [of Gaudium et Spes] serves as a countersyllabus and, as such, represents, on the part of the Church, an attempt at an official reconciliation with the new era inaugurated in 1789. To many of today’s liberal or progressive Catholics, these statements of Cardinal Ratzinger may not seem to be “astonishing” at all. Cardinal Ratzinger was, after all, only stating the obvious, wasn’t he? He was only being candid. His statement was actually quite unremarkable. It has been well accepted that reconciling the Church with the modern world was the whole point of the Second Vatican Council—wasn’t it? What perhaps gnaws uncomfortably at the intellect of other, less progressively minded Catholics is the fact that Cardinal Ratzinger was suggesting that the main goal of the Second Vatican Council was to set up a countersyllabus, i.e., an opposition document, to the Church’s officially settled dogma defining Modernism as a heresy and as the synthesis of all heresies. An astonishing attack on the Catholic Church itself! But wait, there’s more… Pope Benedict XVI softened the viewpoint of Cardinal Ratzinger On April 15, 2005, Cardinal Ratzinger became Pope Benedict XVI. On December 22, 2005, Pope Benedict delivered an address to the Roman Curia during which he softened his earlier enthusiasm (as Cardinal Ratzinger) for the “countersyllabus” understanding of the teachings of Vatican II. In the address, Pope Benedict suggested that interpretations of the teachings of Vatican II must be filtered through a technique which he called a hermeneutic of continuity. The conventional and almost uniform understanding throughout our Catholic Church of the meaning of Pope Benedict’s hermeneutic of continuity seems to have been that whenever a controversial teaching of Vatican II seems to conflict with the truths of the Catholic Faith as found in Sacred Dogma or in Sacred Tradition, the Vatican II teaching should be interpreted not as negating Sacred Dogma or Sacred Tradition or (to use Pope Benedict’s format) not as a rupture with past Church teaching, but rather in continuity with it. Problems with Pope Benedict’s hermeneutic of continuity The main problem with Pope Benedict’s apparently sensible hermeneutical effort was, and still is, that Pope Benedict’s hermeneutic of continuity begs the question as to whether the conflict between the heretical Modernist teachings in the Second Vatican Council documents can be interpreted in continuity with our Church’s definitive dogma condemning Modernism as a heresy. In an article in the January 23, 2023, issue of The Remnant, Catholic columnist Robert Morrison has urged a “hermeneutic of correction and rejection” for reconciling the problematic texts in the Vatican II documents with the timeless truths of the Catholic Faith. Morrison’s words: This differs from the ‘hermeneutic of continuity’ approach advanced by Benedict XVI because the progressive, anti-Catholic interpretations must be rejected entirely rather than accommodated. There is complete discontinuity between Catholicism and what the progressives have accomplished through their interpretation of Vatican II. Unless and until a holy pope formally resolves the Vatican II crisis, the discontinuity must be rectified by rejecting the non-Catholic interpretations and insisting on the Traditional Catholic interpretations. The goal of this approach is not to preserve, defend, or promote the Council; rather the goal is to neuter the progressivist weaponization of the Council until such time as a holy pope can adequately resolve the questions about Vatican II. [Emphasis added.] A few years earlier, the late John Vennari (then-editor of Catholic Family News) had also explained and critiqued Pope Benedict’s hermeneutic of continuity: Pope Benedict says, many Catholics have approached the Council with an interpretation of rupture with the past. The proper way to approach the Council, he insists, is through a “hermeneutic of continuity.” His basic claim — and this has always been his claim as Cardinal Ratzinger — is that Vatican II did not constitute a rupture with Tradition, but a legitimate development of it. We can find this legitimate development if we approach the Council through a hermeneutic — an interpretation — of continuity. This gives the impression to many that Pope Benedict XVI plans a restoration of Tradition in the Church. But this is not the case. … [T]he hermeneutic of continuity does not signal a return to Tradition. Rather, it is another attempt, first and foremost, I believe, to save Vatican II. Vatican II is still his [i.e., Benedict XVI’s] pivotal principle. The so-called “hermeneutic of continuity” approach will give us nothing more than a new synthesis between Tradition and Vatican II — a synthesis between Tradition and Modernism — which is not a legitimate synthesis. Vennari’s point seems to fit nicely into the definition of Modernism that was encountered at the beginning of this essay: “a state of mind and way of life that sought to make over Christianity, rationalistically explaining away its difficulties to make the religion acceptable to the thinking of the day.” Modernism, by definition, changes Tradition to make it acceptable to Modernism’s “thinking of the day” and thus, as Vennari asserted, “a synthesis between Tradition and Modernism … is not a legitimate synthesis.” It’s a contradiction in logic. This “a contradiction in logic” in connection with Modernism brings to mind another, perhaps even more fundamental, “contradiction in logic” in connection with the Second Vatican Council’s dalliance with the heresy of Modernism. First, a bit of history… Members of Vatican II violated their Oath Against Modernism On September 1, 1910, Pope Saint Pius X issued a motu proprio entitled Sacrorum Antistitum in which he mandated that an Oath Against Modernism be taken by all Catholic seminarians before being ordained to the sub-diaconate order on their way to the priesthood. It is important to note that in 1918, four years after the death of Saint Pius X, the Vatican’s Sacred Congregation of the Holy Office declared that the motu proprio on the Oath Against Modernism must remain in full force until the Holy See declares otherwise. The Holy See did declare otherwise, but not until July 17, 1967 (more than a year after the closing of the Second Vatican Council). It is even more important to note that every Catholic priest ordained between the years 1910 and 1967 had been required to take the Oath Against Modernism as mandated by Saint Pius X. The implications are startling. With only one lone exception, every bishop, archbishop, and cardinal who participated in the Second Vatican Council and every Vatican II peritus who was also a priest had taken the Oath Against Modernism. The one lone exception was Pope John XXIII, who was ordained in 1904 and died in June of 1963, early in the Vatican II proceedings (1962-1965). Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò, who served as Apostolic Nuncio to the United States from 2011 to 2016, has confirmed the violation of the Oath Against Modernism: I confirm that, according to the canonical norms then in vigor, all the bishops who participated in the Second Vatican Council and all the clerics with positions in the commissions swore the Iusiurandum anti modernisticum [i.e., the Oath Against Modernism] together with the Professio Fidei [Profession of Faith]. Certainly those who at the Council rejected the preparatory schemas prepared by the Holy Office and played a decisive role in the drafting of the most controversial texts violated their oath sworn on the Holy Gospels; but I do not think that for them this posed a serious problem of conscience. Every active participant in the Second Vatican Council (except Pope John XXIII) was under an oath-bound obligation to Almighty God, “with due reverence [to] submit and adhere with [his] whole heart to the condemnations, declarations, and all the prescripts contained in the encyclical Pascendi …” Seen in this light, Cardinal Ratzinger’s “countersyllabus” statements are indeed truly astonishing. How could the participants in Vatican II set out intentionally to “correct” by setting up a “countersyllabus” to that which each and every participant had sworn “with [his] whole heart” to “submit and adhere”? How can one who is oath-bound to support the papal condemnations of Modernism “correct” or “counter” those condemnations? What are we to believe? Are we to believe that those who voted in favor of the heretical teachings of Vatican II intentionally violated the Oath Against Modernism that they had taken? That they forgot their oath? Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò has given the most candid and (in my opinion) most obvious answer to those quandaries. His answer is key to his understanding of why the obligation to take the Oath Against Modernism was abolished in the aftermath of Vatican II: The abolition of the Iusiurandum Antimodernisticum [i.e., the Oath Against Modernism] was part of a plan to dismantle the disciplinary structure of the Church, precisely at the moment in which the threat of the adulteration of Faith and Morals by the Innovators was greatest. In the aftermath of Vatican II, when enthusiasm for regarding “the thinking of the day” a proper criterion for discerning religious truth, and when the “spirit of Vatican II” was loudest in proclaiming an unrestrained and unfiltered openness to “the wisdom of the world”—at that moment “in which the threat of the adulteration of Faith and Morals by the Innovators was greatest”—our Catholic Church set itself (and us) on the path that it has now followed for decades in the wake of the Second Vatican Council. Cardinal Ratzinger was prescient when he drew his post-Vatican II conclusion that the main goal of the Second Vatican Council was to set up an opposition document to the anti-Modernist position adopted by the Catholic Church under Popes Pius IX and Pius X. Evidence is not lacking that Modernism as a heresy has been a matter of diminishing (to the point of disappearing) concern to the hierarchy of our Catholic Church, but Modernism with its heretical veneer covertly suppressed is thriving throughout our Catholic Church today. Pope Leo XIV urges ‘complete commitment’ to the teachings of Vatican II Pope Leo XIV may have demonstrated his “complete” lack of concern over the heretical Modernist teachings in Vatican II’s documents very early in his papal reign. In his address to the College of Cardinals on Saturday, May 10, 2025, just two days after his election, he invited all the cardinals to commit themselves completely to Vatican II’s teachings: I would like us to renew together today our complete commitment to the path that the universal Church has now followed for decades in the wake of the Second Vatican Council. Pope Francis masterfully and concretely set it forth in the Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii Gaudium, from which I would like to highlight several fundamental points: the return to the primacy of Christ in proclamation; the missionary conversion of the entire Christian community; growth in collegiality and synodality; attention to the sensus fidei, especially in its most authentic and inclusive forms, such as popular piety; loving care for the least and the rejected; courageous and trusting dialogue with the contemporary world in its various components and realities; Second Vatican Council, Pastoral Constitution Gaudium et Spes. [Emphasis added.] Pope Leo XIV is now committing all of us, i.e., the entire Catholic Church, to follow that path—i.e., “the path that the universal Church has now followed for decades in the wake of the Second Vatican Council” by joining together in a “courageous and trusting dialogue with the contemporary world in its various components and realities.” Conclusion We find ourselves in the midst of the current covert demise of the heresy of Modernism, a demise apparently deliberately orchestrated by members of the current hierarchy of our Catholic Church in order to turn our Church’s century-old dogma condemning Modernism as a heresy into a forgotten, no-longer-operative nonentity. Our two most recent Holy Fathers, however, have been paving the rough-hewn path chosen for us to follow with the very essence of that erstwhile heresy of Modernism. We are to follow the wake of the Second Vatican Council by engaging in a “trusting” dialogue with the contemporary world. And we are to follow that re-paved path undistracted by the heresy of Modernism itself, because the heresy of Modernism itself is now a forgotten nonentity. Hence one’s lack of confidence in the wisdom of the modern contemporary world and the wisdom of the modern current Vatican bureaucracy joined together in a mutually “trusting” dialogue relationship in their quest for a brave new modern Vatican II future. One’s confidence is better placed in the timeless truths of our Catholic Faith, given to us in the Wisdom of the Holy Spirit through God’s revelation—not in evolving (in which direction?) human dialogue. God’s only Son, Jesus Christ, is the only Way, the only Truth, and the only Life for the Catholic Christian. Raymond B. Marcin is Professor of Law Emeritus at The Catholic University of America.

By Leah MarieAnn Klett, Assistant Editor Tuesday, January 06, 2026Louie Giglio | Screenshot/Passion 2026In the final message of Passion 2026, Passion City Church Pastor Louie Giglio told over 45,000 college students and young adults that the conference’s purpose has never been about gathering crowds, but about sending people out “for the glory of God,” including those who feel too wounded or anxious to believe they can be used.“[Passion] is all about Isaiah 26:8,” Giglio told those gathered at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas, on Jan. 3. “This has been our theme for 29 years: ‘"Yes, LORD, walking in the way of your laws, we wait for you; your name and renown are the desire of our hearts.’” “Renown is a powerful word. It's fame that will never fade,” the 67-year-old Atlanta-based pastor continued. “The world's full of fame. In fact, because of sin, every one of us wants to get our own kind of fame. But all that fame, all of it. Think of the biggest fame you can think of on this Earth; it is all going to fade. There's only one fame that won't fade, and that's the fame of Jesus. The glory of Jesus will not fade.”Giglio, who founded the Passion Conferences in 1997 alongside his wife, Shelley, said Passion exists to call students to a different kind of ambition, not self-promotion, but devotion.“The reason Passion exists is to help us trade little fame for the fame that never ends,” he said. “That's the gift of God to you and me. I want to help you trade little fame for the fame that never ends, so that when your life is over on this Earth, your life can live on forever, because your life was a part of His renown.”He described the vision of the Passion movement as simply a launching point meant to become a lifetime mission.“We talk about it like this: our goal, believe it or not, is not to get tens of thousands of people into stadiums. Our goal is to launch tens of thousands of people out of stadiums for the glory of God,” he said. “And so, for us, it looks like arrows being launched into every sphere, every nation, every sector.”“If finance is your thing, praise God,” he added. “We want to launch you like an arrow for the glory of God into whatever segment of finance God puts you in, arrows flung for the glory of God.”“But what is also true is that not all the arrows are ready to go. Some, actually, probably a lot of the arrows, are broken,” Giglio said. “Some of them, when the archer pulls them out of the quiver, they're smashed.”“We live in a world where we're always putting our best foot forward,” he said. “Pull me out of the quiver, and it looks like stickers on a laptop. I don't know why we put stickers on our laptop, but I wonder if sometimes it's to distract people from the fact that there really is a pretty significant crack there, and maybe they'll just see the tape and not notice that, if I'm honest, I'm a broken arrow.”Giglio referenced testimonies shared during the conference, stories of people who once sat in the same seats carrying trauma and fear. That reality, he said, led him to Luke 8, the account of Jesus encountering a demon-possessed man in the region of the Gerasenes.“I'm not saying every broken arrow is demon possessed, but […] demons are real,” Giglio emphasized. He added that in recent months, “it feels like in my feed I've seen more demons on social media than I've seen in a long time.”“I don't believe every issue is a demon,” he stressed, “but I know that when Jesus arrived in the region of the Gerasenes, he was met by a demon-possessed man from the town.”“This, by the way, is where the enemy wants to lead you,” Giglio said. “He wants to lead you to a solitary place, to a place where you feel isolated, where you feel like nobody else understands. ‘Nobody else gets me, nobody else is going through what I'm going through.’”But Giglio pointed to what happened next: Jesus did not simply restore the demon-possessed man; Jesus sent him.“You could insert here, Jesus launched him like an arrow,” Giglio said. “And He said, return home.”Similarly, Giglio said God put a “vision” of a stadium “filled with broken arrows” on his heart.“There was a whole stadium filled with broken arrows,” he said. “Some were broken because of the choices they had made. Some were broken because pain had sent them to dark places. Some were broken because they had been abandoned. […] Some were broken because of abuse. Some were broken because of a syndrome, a condition, a diagnosis, a disorder. Some were cracked because they were overlooked. […] Some were broken by fear and anxiety and depression and dread. Some were broken by the lies of the enemy: ‘you're unwanted, you're insignificant, unlovable, defective,’ but all were broken.”“Maybe for you, the graveyard is disappointment, or the tomb is abandonment. The tomb is abuse,” he said. Giglio shared a personal account of his own experience with debilitating depression and anxiety, revealing there was a time when he believed he was dying, and when doctors tried to convince him otherwise.“I was diagnosed with something called the fear of death syndrome,” he said. “I thought I was going crazy, and I thought that I was dying. I had to go to somewhere near 20 different doctors to tell me I wasn't dying before I began to believe I wasn't dying. I was losing my mind.”Even so, Giglio said the story of Jesus is about both past and future and that a person’s future does not have to be chained to what they have survived.“But what I want to say to you is this story is about two things. […] It's about the past, and it's about the future,” he said. “And I would love to proclaim today that the God, who is in Globe Life Field, is a God who can deliver us from the past and who can lead us into His future for our life. Your destiny is not your past. Your destiny is a future with God.”“So here's the question: What can make the broken arrows soar again? Better question, who can make the broken arrow soar again, and how?” he asked. “And the answer is as big as we could get it tonight, the answer is the cross of Jesus Christ.”He connected the cross to Isaiah 61, describing Jesus’ mission as one aimed at the wounded. Giglio also quoted from Matthew 27, describing the darkness at the crucifixion and the tearing of the temple curtain.“He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,” Giglio said. “Jesus didn't come for great arrows. Jesus came for cracked arrows.”“When Jesus died, it wasn't just that we got access to God, but we did get access to a holy God through the death of Jesus Christ,” he said. “But when Jesus died, we not only got access to God. We got a way out of our tombs.”He emphasized that true healing begins not by fixating on personal wounds but by focusing on Christ’s.“We don't get healed by looking deeper and deeper and deeper and deeper into our wounds,” he said. “We get healed by looking more and more and more and more into the wounds of our Savior, Jesus Christ, because by His wounds, we are healed.”“I totally respect science. I totally respect medicine. I am grateful for doctors. I'm also grateful for prayer,” he said. “I'm grateful for Jesus community that rallied around me.”Still, he said the cross speaks to those who feel defined by pain and to those who wonder if God’s love can be trusted in suffering.“The enemy’s primary way of communicating to you that God doesn't love you is in your pain,” he said. “It's like, where's God? Where's this good God, where's this loving God, where's wonderful God?”“This cross is saying to you, God has the power to change your life right here and right now,” he said. “God's going to use you. I want you just to say that, even if you can't say it out loud, I want you to say it in your mind right now: God's going to use me.”Giglio acknowledged that healing may look different for different people, instantaneous, gradual or ultimately fulfilled in Heaven, but assured audiences that brokenness doesn't disqualify anyone from God’s plans.“I'd like to offer to you tonight that if you identify in any way with one of these, you can soar again,” he said. “It may be instant healing right now. […] It may be progressive healing. […] It may be final healing in Heaven, but you can soar again.”“Archery is not about the arrows. Archery is about the archer,” he said. “And here's what He's saying to you, ‘I got you. I got all of you. I got all of you.’”“I'd like to invite you just to stand into this prayer,” Giglio concluded. “Just so that you can say to yourself today and proclaim, into the spiritual world, ‘I'm stronger than the devil wants me to believe I am.’”This year’s Passion Conference was held Jan. 1-3 and featured speakers, including Cliffe Knechtle, Jackie Hill Perry, Earl McClellan, Jonathan Pokluda and Sadie Robertson Huff, along with music from Brooke Ligertwood and others. Following the conference, Giglio wrote on Instagram: “We prayed for Jesus to meet us here… on this field… during these days, and He did. We are so grateful for what He did in the lives of thousands of students at Passion 2026. This generation has a fire on the inside that won’t burn out as they go back to their campus, work, families, and to the ends of the earth. We are arrows being sent out by the power of God for the glory of God. Thank you, Jesus.”

By Ryan Foley, Christian Post Reporter Tuesday, January 06, 2026Angel StudiosAngel Studios’ “David” has now brought in more than $70 million at the box office after making more money on ticket sales during its opening weekend than any other faith-based animated movie in history. “David,” an animated children’s film based on the life of King David of Israel as documented in the Bible, hit theaters on Dec. 19 and is distributed by Angel Studios, which specializes in producing faith-based movies. According to the Internet Movie Database’s Box Office Mojo, “David” surpassed $70 million in box office sales as of Tuesday afternoon. Nearly all of its earnings, (except $400,000), come from domestic ticket sales. The film has a score of 98% on Rotten Tomatoes’ Popcornmeter, indicating that it is very popular with moviegoers. “David” finished in second place on its opening weekend in terms of ticket sales in the United States, bringing in just over $22 million. The film finished significantly behind “Avatar: Fire & Ash” but finished ahead of “The Housemaid,” a highly anticipated film starring Sydney Sweeney. "David" made the top 10 in the two subsequent weekends it has been in theaters, coming in sixth place the weekend of Dec. 26-28, bringing in over $12 million domestically. The film placed seventh this past weekend, surpassing $7.6 million in additional ticket sales.“David” has appeared in as many as 3,118 theaters during its nearly three-week theatrical run. The film gave Angel Studios the best three-day opening in the company's history, surpassing the $19.6 million brought in during the opening weekend of Angel Studios’ “Sound of Freedom," the company announced in a Dec. 22 statement. By bringing in the “highest-grossing faith-based animated theatrical opening of all time,” the film has surpassed records set by Angel Studios’ “The King of Kings” and “The Prince of Egypt.” “Families are searching for values-driven films that honor hope,” said Brandon Purdie, head of theatrical at Angel. “We greatly value the support of our outstanding exhibitors and look forward to a robust, extended theatrical run as this popular animated musical continues to warm hearts and inspire families.”While “David” has not seen the same level of success in international markets thus far, that is expected to change in the coming weeks. Currently, the movie is only available in five foreign countries: Portugal, South Africa, Singapore, Nigeria and Ghana. “David” will hit theaters in four additional countries by the end of the month and nearly three dozen more by the end of 2026. 

By Michael Gryboski, Editor Tuesday, January 06, 2026Bethlehem College & Seminary Chancellor and Desiring God founder John Piper giving remarks at a conference in January 2019. | YouTube/Desiring GodNotable Bible teacher and author John Piper recently advised Christians on how to organize their short-term and long-term mission statements for the new year.In an episode of the “Ask Pastor John” podcast that was posted to the Desiring God website on New Year’s Day, a listener named Paul asked about a “personal mission statement.” “So, how do I, as an average Christian layperson, go about coming up with personal mission statements? Should we be strengths/talents-oriented about it? Focus on roles? Should we most focus on spiritual needs in the church, both locally and globally?” asked Paul.“And how do we avoid letting this statement grow so broad that we get overwhelmed to the point that such a statement does nothing to actually help us focus our energies? Any help would be greatly appreciated.”Piper, chancellor of Bethlehem College and Seminary in Minneapolis, Minnesota, who pastored Bethlehem Baptist Church for over 30 years, responded by noting that “when I read the Bible, I cannot escape the relentless teaching that God has purposes” and that “He has goals in everything he does.”“I don’t think there would be any Gospel, any salvation, any eternal joy if God were not a planner — one who lived with purposes and goals,” Piper said. “I’m sure He has millions of sub-goals and sub-purposes in everything He does. I like to say God is doing ten thousand things we don’t know anything about.”While saying personal mission statements “keep me focused on the great things of life,” Piper warned that “the particularities of life are too variable for our mission statement to be very detailed.”“The more particularities about yourself and about your circumstances that you include, the more short-term your statement is going to be, because so much changes,” he continued.“If you want your mission statement to last more than a few years, it will need to be high-level and general. And that’s mainly what I have in mind when I think of my own statements that guide my life.”Piper offered what he called a “whirlwind process” for crafting a statement, noting that a key component is recognizing that “God’s ultimate purpose is to be seen and savored and shown.”He cited Isaiah 43:6–7, “Bring my sons from afar and my daughters from the ends of the earth — everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made.”“Everything we should be doing with our bodies, our minds, and our hearts should make God look glorious,” said Piper. “We’re helping people see Him, savor Him, show Him for what He’s really like.”Piper tied this to the biblical call of being a servant to others, adding that “when we joyfully rely on God in all that we do in the service of others, God looks glorious in our lives.”“God is infinitely glorious. God means to communicate that glory to his people — to see it, savor it, show it. He means for us to join Him in that purpose. That applies to absolutely everything we do,” he said.  “And we do it in humble reliance upon His grace and power, which come through Jesus Christ, in the service of others. That will make Him look great.”Piper concluded by noting that “when you have crafted an overarching mission statement built on those purposes of God, then you can make some short-term mission statements.”In an op-ed published by The Christian Post in late December, Bishop Daniel Timotheos Yohannan, president of GFA World, also offered advice on how Christians should approach the new year.“If you’re a Christian, always remember that you are an integral part of a worldwide movement and a large family answering the call of Christ and walking in His footsteps,” he wrote.“Whatever we do — whether in our daily activities, our work, or our home life with our families — it is all for the glory of God. As we head into a new year, I have great confidence that the Lord has many more answers to prayer in store for us.”Follow Michael Gryboski on Twitter or Facebook

In one of the strongest pro-life affirmations in a U.S. jurisdiction, Puerto Rico's governor has declared unborn children are legally recognized as natural persons, affirming that life begins at conception.  In late December, Gov. Jenniffer González Colón signed Senate Bill 504 into law, which amends Puerto Rico's Civil Code to recognize an unborn child as a natural person from conception.  "Every human being is a natural person, including the conceived child at any stage of gestation within the mother's womb," it reads.  Writer Vianca Rodriguez of República.com, a Spanish news outlet, wrote, "Rather than radical, the law reflects a growing acknowledgment that legal systems cannot indefinitely avoid the scientific reality that human life begins at conception." "By naming that reality directly, Puerto Rico chose honesty over ambiguity and placed the value of unborn life firmly within its legal framework, reinforcing long-standing principles of human dignity and the protection of life recognized in both Puerto Rico's and the United States' constitutional traditions," she added. The amendment was authored by Senate President Thomas Rivera Schatz of the New Progressive Party (NPP) and co-sponsored by Sens. Joanne Rodríguez-Veve (Independent), Brenda Pérez (NPP-Arecibo), and Wilmer Reyes (NPP-Guayama), Live Action reports.  The new legislation will not affect current abortion laws, which allow for the termination of an unborn baby through all stages of pregnancy.  However, pro-life advocates are confident that this amendment establishes an important legal and moral precedent. Earlier in December, Gov. González had signed Law 166-2025, which stipulates that a crime against a pregnant woman that results "in the death of the unborn child at any stage of gestation within the mother's womb," will be treated as "first-degree murder," Catholic News Agency reports.  In October, González also signed Law 122-2025, which mandates that at least one guardian must give informed consent if a minor girl is seeking an abortion.  Puerto Rico's new laws are laying the groundwork for potential legal protections for the unborn. Puerto Rican Sen. Joanne Rodríguez-Veve noted that 2025 was a year "in which unprecedented progress was made." Pro-life groups are applauding González in her steps to protect the pre-born, calling it a "huge win." BREAKING: Puerto Rico recognizes the humanity and legal personhood of unborn children from the moment of conception Huge win for life! — Lila Rose (@LilaGraceRose) December 26, 2025 "National Right to Life celebrates this landmark achievement for the pro‑life movement," said Carol Tobias, president of National Right to Life (NRL). "Puerto Rico's clear and courageous recognition of preborn babies as persons reflects a deep respect for life and provides a powerful example for lawmakers throughout the United States. Legal personhood for the preborn is not only consistent with science and human dignity but is the foundation upon which a culture of life can flourish," the statement continued.  Kelsey Pritchard, communications director for Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, said Puerto Rico's new pro-life law "is a historic victory for babies and moms across the island and a powerful example for lawmakers throughout the United States." ***Please sign up for CBN Newsletters and download the CBN News app to receive the latest news from a distinctly Christian perspective.***

"fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God." - Hebrews 12:2

By Anugrah Kumar, Christian Post Contributor Tuesday, January 06, 2026Pastor José Otoniel Ortega was assassinated during New Year’s Eve celebrations in northern Colombia.At least 10 other pastors have been killed in the country within the past year.Authorities have launched an investigation to identify and arrest those responsible for the attack.An artificial intelligence-powered tool created this summary based on the source article. The summary has undergone review and verification by an editor.People walk on the street in Salento, Colombia. | Unsplash/Delaney TurnerA 54-year-old Protestant pastor was shot and killed by armed men on New Year’s Eve in northern Colombia as he gathered with his family. The killing took place in the Santa Elena neighborhood of Fundación Municipality in the Magdalena Department.Police said the pastor, José Otoniel Ortega, was shot around midnight on Dec. 31 while celebrating the start of the year with relatives, according to the United Kingdom-based advocacy group Christian Solidarity Worldwide, which said he was taken to a nearby medical clinic and died from his injuries shortly after. Authorities in Magdalena had launched a coordinated investigation with the Attorney General’s Office to identify and arrest those responsible. They urged residents to share any relevant information by calling local emergency lines.The incident sparked outrage among religious leaders across Colombia, with national Evangelical networks issuing statements condemning the killing of Ortega, who was affiliated with the Foursquare Gospel Church and served as a religious leader in Fundación.Earlier reports had misidentified his denomination as the Pentecostal Church.CSW called Ortega’s death a “premeditated, targeted assassination,” pointing to the timing and nature of the attack."CSW extends our deepest condolences to the family and church community of Pastor José Otoniel Ortega for this loss," CSW’s Advocacy Director Anna Lee Stangl said in a statement. "The nature of the attack on Mr. Otoniel Ortega, whilst he was celebrating New Year’s Eve with his family, makes it clear that this was a premeditated, targeted assassination."Ortega’s denomination described him as a dedicated pastor committed to service.The Colombian Council of Evangelical Churches released a statement saying the killing had affected not just Ortega’s congregation, but the larger Christian community in the country. The group called for justice and an end to violence against religious leaders.The Ministry of the Interior urged local civil and police authorities to find the perpetrators and bring them to justice. It also reminded the public of the constitutional rights tied to religious freedom, including the right to life and safety for faith leaders and their communities.Ortega’s killing is the latest in a series of attacks against religious leaders in the country, according to CSW.At least 10 Protestant leaders were killed and one Catholic priest was kidnapped in Colombia between December 2024 and November 2025, including another pastor in Magdalena in January 2025.The group said religious leaders in conflict zones are often targeted by criminal groups involved in Colombia’s long-running internal armed conflict, where illegal armed actors seek to maintain territorial control and suppress dissent.Church representatives and advocacy groups have also raised concerns about recent changes to the country’s protection framework. CSW said recent government reforms altered Decree 1066, removing a specific protection protocol that had recognized religious leaders as a distinct vulnerable group and provided tailored security measures under Colombia’s National Protection System.The groups have called on international actors to track attacks on faith-based leaders and support accountability efforts.Final services for Ortega were expected to take place at his church in Fundación. The police investigation remains ongoing.

“There was a good 10 years where it felt like somebody had a boot on my chest.” This is how Justin Vernon—known as Bon Iver—describes the season before making his most recent album, SABLE, fABLE. After years of relentless touring and the weight of fame he never expected, he says it all “eats away at you”—the overwork, the anxiety, the crushing sense of being overrun by it all. He couldn’t keep going in the way he was going. He reflects, I’m finally . . . in this place where I’m like, I’m OK. Boohoo, I thought I’d have kids and a wife and that kind of love in my life. But what I’ve discovered is the most important thing is just to be where I’m at and to feel OK. You may have been through a similar season: near collapse, anxiety attacks, or a sense of dread of what life has become. Vernon’s arrival at “I’m OK” represents real resilience and a hard-won settledness. We might describe this feeling as “balance,” a sense of having the mental, emotional, or spiritual resources that make us feel buoyed in the face of life’s turbulence, pressures, and difficulties. Many of us long for that feeling. I was sitting with a young woman in pastoral care who was expressing doubts about her faith. She struggles with anxiety, but a Buddhist coworker she knows doesn’t. To her, his life seems so balanced and measured, so put together and unbothered by the stress the rest of her coworkers feel. She felt his spiritual resources were deeper. Don’t we all want to be more balanced? Well-Being Culture These desires to be balanced and measured—to feel OK—are part of an increasing, even marketable, trend. Since 2019, the wellness-app industry has generated over a billion dollars annually. Many young adults are demanding more flexibility at work, willing to take lower pay in exchange for better work-life balance. You might say we’ve entered a well-being culture. Our highest goal isn’t to feel only good but balanced. We’re anxious, attached to our phones, drinking too much, working too much, not healthy enough, not eating right. And now, many are eager to change these realities. The problem with well-being culture isn’t its diagnosis—mental, emotional, and physical health are real needs. The issue is that it lacks a coherent vision of what well-being is. We’re repeatedly told there’s a product or subscription for every need. If you need better mental health, go to therapy. Want to get in shape? Buy a gym membership, hire a trainer, download an app. Want better nutrition? Subscribe to a meal plan or pay for a coach. But none of these industries has an endpoint. There’s no destination—only ongoing maintenance and, if you work hard enough, optimization. The problem with well-being culture isn’t its diagnosis—mental, emotional, and physical health are real needs. The issue is that it lacks a coherent vision of what well-being is. In talking with the woman who wished she had the spiritual resources of her Buddhist friend, my temptation was to try to use the resources of our Christian faith to match her coworker’s balance. We can simply transfer the final goals of well-being culture to our spiritual formation: to feel OK and obtain balance. But balance is like a tightrope that invites constant self-monitoring. Goals of Spiritual Formation Years back, my emotional life took a deep dive into darkness. I struggled with depression and anxiety for about 18 months. I began to worry this was the new normal—my kids always experiencing me as sad, my energy always being cut too short to finish things the way I wanted to. Someone told me, “It won’t always be this way.” I didn’t believe him. The darkness felt definitive. Some of what happened was explainable—I was burned out, overworked, and grieving painful relational conflicts. Other parts seemed mysterious. God felt distant. My phone, of course, was always near. Mental health experts were a great help, and older Christians encouraged me to lean into spiritual formation practices more intentionally. Keeping a weekly Sabbath and practicing solitude were lifelines in getting hold of my interior life. Since then, these practices, among others, have helped me experience vitality and life. Maybe you have a similar story. Anxiety or burnout caused you to take spiritual formation more seriously. Your desire for balance led you to take a Sabbath; an anxious heart led you to practice solitude. As far as I can tell, there are no bad reasons to take up spiritual practices. But what brings you to spiritual formation may not be what ought to keep you there. Spiritual formation’s final goal isn’t balance and well-being. What’s happening in our prayers, our Sabbath-keeping, our meditating and reading of Scripture, or our solitude isn’t meant to lead us to balance. We’re “being transformed into [the Lord’s image] from one degree of glory to another” (2 Cor. 3:18). Later in 2 Corinthians, Paul tells the discouraged and timid, the crushed and the despairing, “We do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day” (4:16). Paul isn’t saying our emotional lives get stronger while our bodies fall apart. Instead, God is preparing us, our whole selves, for glory while this tent—our bodies and minds—falls apart. In my season of longing for balance, I wanted to feel normal. At other times, I wanted life similar to those I envied. But Paul calls me to “look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen [felt, measured, comparable] are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal” (v. 18). Christ wants glory, not just balance, for us—likeness to him rather than comparable lives to others. Look to the things that are unseen. Christ wants glory, not just balance, for us—likeness to him rather than comparable lives to others. Where are we looking? We “[fix] our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith” (Heb. 12:2, NIV). Jesus is our pioneer, meaning he’s already walked through our life and into the future that’s ours: resurrected glory and infinite inheritance. His future is our future. What’s true of Christ is true of us; what belongs to Christ belongs to us. We’re filled with the same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead (Rom. 8:11). Spiritual formation is learning to live from the status and supply you have in Christ. If balance and emotional health are the end of our spiritual formation, then all we’re doing is looking for techniques toward self-sufficiency—the flesh rather than Christ—for our healing and wholeness. Sabbath, solitude, meditation, and prayer are balms for the anxious and addicted heart. But Christ intends to heal more than just our hearts. Spiritual Formation Leads to a Cross “Jesus told his disciples, ‘If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me’” (Matt. 16:24). Jesus’s clear instruction to his followers includes this cross-patterned life. While Paul’s language shifts away from the imagery of discipleship or Jesus-as-mentor toward the concept of union with Christ, the calling is the same. “Our old self was crucified with him” (Rom. 6:6). “I have been crucified with Christ” (Gal. 2:20). “Those who belong to Jesus Christ have crucified the flesh with its passions” (5:24). “You have died, and your life is hidden with Christ” (Col. 3:3). If balance and a sense of well-being are spiritual formation’s main goals, a life patterned after Christ’s life and death will be intolerable. And it will be exhausting. Rather than being formed into the image of Christ, we’ll be endlessly consumed with trying to shape our lives into the vague and often shifting worldly standard of balance. Frankly, the cross is destabilizing. Repentance is disruptive. The mortification of our flesh can cause mental anguish. But without it, there’s no renewal. And spiritual formation without renewal is something entirely foreign to the New Testament. If balance and a sense of well-being are spiritual formation’s main goals, a life patterned after Christ’s life and death will be intolerable. I remember sitting with a friend who was struggling with panic attacks. She felt confused and guilty that she was experiencing fear when the Bible tells her not to be afraid. Even talking about it caused feelings of panic. So I listened, and then we prayed together. We opened to the story of Christ in the garden of Gethsemane. I don’t think we can clearly assume Jesus is having a panic attack. But the Gospels describe him as feeling overwhelmed and sorrowing to the point of death, being troubled and distressed, sweating like great drops of blood, and falling to the ground (Matt. 26:38; Mark 14:35; Luke 22:44). This corresponded with her experience. Jesus felt what it means when a human mind and body are near the limits of what they can bear. As we read this passage, she was learning how to have a panic attack with Jesus, who understands what she’s going through and intercedes as the One who knows her frame. Yes, my friend was listening to and engaging with competent mental health professionals and following their prescriptions—which is important. But she was also pressing into something deeper than mental health. She was learning to live with the resources she has in Christ and in the life that’s being renewed day by day, even as she was experiencing her outer self (even her mind) diminish in ways she couldn’t control. She was learning that balance, though desirable, isn’t sufficient. She was experiencing what only the Spirit who resurrected Christ could provide.

Somewhere on the list of stories rarely included in children’s Bible storybooks is Samuel hacking Agag, the Amalekite king, “to pieces before the LORD in Gilgal” (1 Sam. 15:33). For many, God’s command to kill all the Amalekites and their livestock raises questions about the morality of Scripture. When Saul only partially obeys and Samuel has to finish the job, anyone could be forgiven for wondering whether that violence was necessary. Yet a story from centuries later, in the book of Esther, reveals why Saul’s partial obedience was so dangerous. Haman, who nearly succeeds in exterminating the Jews in Persia, is “the Agagite, the son of Hammedatha, the enemy of the Jews” (Est. 3:10). It seems that Saul spared more than the king. As a result, the blood feud that had started generations earlier, during Israel’s escape from Egypt (Ex. 17:8–16), threatens God’s covenant. When we connect multiple Old Testament passages, the basis for God’s command becomes clearer. This is exactly the sort of challenge Matthew Swale, assistant professor of Bible and church ministry at Warner University, wants to equip his readers to address in Scripture’s Use of Scripture in the Old Testament: Three Instincts for Identifying Allusions. He sets out to provide a “workable method for determining when the Old Testament alludes to another Old Testament text,” to help us understand the Bible better (xv). The result is an approach that can help pastors and teachers explain Scripture more effectively. Identify Allusions When connections between texts are properly identified, they can bring clarity to difficult passages. When readers make improper connections, confusion can result. There should be clear and compelling evidence to classify allusions within Scripture. Swale outlines three instincts that Bible teachers should develop to help identify and explain allusions between Old Testament texts. He uses the term “instinct” to avoid a mechanical understanding of the process for recognizing allusions; readers can’t “expect that inserting lexical data will spit out a vacuum-sealed conclusion on an Old Testament text’s use of Scripture” (26). It’s only through close reading of the biblical text and careful study that we can develop sound instincts. There should be clear and compelling evidence to classify allusions within Scripture. The first instinct is to look for shared terms between passages. If the source text and the alluding text use the same Hebrew words, a link is possible but not certain. For example, the connection between Samuel hacking up Agag and the story of Esther comes from the repetition of names. Mordecai is described as a “son of Kish, a Benjamite” (Est. 2:5). Saul is described as the son of Kish and a Benjamite (1 Sam. 9:1–2). It was Saul’s assignment to destroy Agag and his people (15:1–9). Therefore, when it’s “Haman the Agagite” who comes up with a plot to wipe out the Jews, it seems likely there’s more than philological coincidence at play (Est. 3:1, 6). The second instinct for recognizing allusions is to consider whether the passages share common themes. When two texts share themes like war, worship, marriage, harlotry, nature imagery, or a particular attribute of God, the connection is more likely. The more shared themes, the more probable the connection. Mordecai’s confrontation with Haman echoes some themes of the earlier Saul-Agag encounter. In both cases, Israel’s future is threatened by a vicious enemy. Both stories highlight the conflict’s historical pedigree that amplifies the tension in the text. A third instinct is to recognize possible intent by looking for evidence that the biblical author seems motivated to change the audience’s beliefs, behavior, or both. Allusions don’t exist merely to create a complicated web of connections between passages. Allusions are a form of intracanonical citation, where the earlier text undergirds the intended point of the alluding text. For example, Saul’s failure reinforces the principle that partial obedience is disobedience. Swale observes that the author of Esther intentionally alludes to 1 Samuel 15 to show how “King Saul’s unfinished business left room for a blood feud that threatened his kin centuries later” (19). It also explains why Haman hated the Jews, which otherwise seems entirely irrational. The author of Esther is warning against Saul-like partial obedience in his own day, because the consequences could last for generations. Biblical interpretation is both a science and an art. Swale doesn’t offer a simplistic checklist that will make every allusion obvious. Rather, he outlines the sort of attitude within a pastor or Bible scholar that can be cultivated over time to help deepen the delight found in Scripture. Delight in Scripture The purpose of good Bible study and teaching isn’t just the transfer of information; it’s the cultivation of love for God. A critical step toward that end is learning to delight in the study of God’s Word. In Scripture’s Use of Scripture in the Old Testament, Swale encourages delight in Scripture by equipping his readers to recognize the Bible’s richness. Swale’s book is an academic volume, but it’s accessible for pastors and educated laity. As a pastor, I’ve already put Swale’s advice to work while preparing a new sermon series on the book of Numbers. It helped me identify an allusion between Psalm 68:1 and Numbers 10:35, where David’s psalm builds on Moses’s prayer. Finding that connection enriched my understanding of the text. I expect it to deepen my congregation’s appreciation for Scripture too. Biblical interpretation is both a science and an art. Additionally, Swale shows that scholarship needn’t be stuffy. He artfully and playfully weaves in pop culture references to help make abstract content concrete. References to The Princess Bride and Dead Poets Society serve as helpful illustrations. And once he admitted his legal thinking was shaped by reading Michael Connelly novels, I couldn’t get the image of Matthew McConaughey sitting on the hood of a Lincoln out of my head. Yet there’s still plenty of academic meat to geek out about. The footnotes show thorough engagement with scholarship in a relatively underdeveloped field (i.e., the Old Testament use of the Old Testament). Protestants have consistently argued that Scripture should be interpreted in light of Scripture. That helps explain why Christians have spent a great deal of energy investigating the New Testament use of the Old Testament. Yet, as Paul House states in his foreword, we’re seeing a “new wave of scholarship” that can help us “read the Bible as its authors did” by connecting the Old Testament to the Old Testament (xi). Scripture’s Use of Scripture in the Old Testament will help pastors and well-informed Bible teachers understand and explain the Old Testament’s contents better, as they lead others to love God more.

(LifeSiteNews) — The Feast of the Epiphany is the continuation of the mystery of Christmas; but it appears on the Calendar of the Church with its own special character. Its very name, which signifies Manifestation, implies that it celebrates the apparition of God to his creatures. For several centuries, the Nativity of our Lord was kept on this day; and when in the year 376 the decree of the Holy See obliged all Churches to keep the Nativity on the 25th of December, as Rome did—the Sixth of January was not robbed of all its ancient glory. It was still to be called the Epiphany, and the Baptism of our Lord Jesus Christ was also commemorated on this same Feast, which Tradition had marked as the day on which that Baptism took place. The Greek Church gives this Feast the venerable and mysterious name of Theophania, which is of such frequent recurrence in the early Fathers as signifying a divine Apparition. We find this name applied to this Feast by Eusebius, St. Gregory Nazianzum, and St. Isidore of Pelusium. In the liturgical books of the Melchite Church the Feast goes under no other name. The Orientals call this solemnity also the holy Lights, on account of its being the day on which Baptism was administered (for, as we have just mentioned, our Lord was baptized on this same day). Baptism is called by the holy Fathers Illumination, and they who received it Illuminated. Lastly, this Feast is called, in many countries, King’s Feast: it is, of course, an allusion to the Magi, whose journey to Bethlehem is so continually mentioned in today’s Office. The Epiphany shares with the Feasts of Christmas, Easter, Ascension, and Pentecost the honor of being called, in the Canon of the Mass, a Day most holy. It is also one of the cardinal Feasts, that is, one of those on which the arrangement of the Christian Year is based; for as we have Sundays after Easter and Sundays after Pentecost, so also we count six Sundays after the Epiphany. The Epiphany is indeed a great Feast, and the joy caused us by the Birth of our Jesus must be renewed on it, for, as though it were a second Christmas Day, it shows us our Incarnate God in a new light. It leaves us all the sweetness of the dear Babe of Bethlehem, who hath appeared to us already in love; but to this it adds its own grand manifestation of the divinity of our Jesus. At Christmas, it was a few Shepherds that were invited by the Angels to go and recognize the Word made Flesh; but now, at the Epiphany, the voice of God himself calls the whole world to adore this Jesus, and hear him. The mystery of the Epiphany brings upon us three magnificent rays of the Sun of Justice, our Savior. In the calendar of pagan Rome, this sixth day of January was devoted to the celebration of a triple triumph of Augustus, the founder of the Roman Empire: but when Jesus, our Prince of peace, whose empire knows no limits, had secured victory to his Church by the blood of the Martyrs—then did this his Church decree that a triple triumph of the Immortal King should be substituted, in the Christian Calendar, for those other three triumphs which had been won by the adopted son of Cæsar. The Sixth of January, therefore, restored the celebration of our Lord’s Birth to the Twenty-Fifth of December; but in return, there were united in the one same Epiphany three manifestations of Jesus’ glory: the mystery of the Magi coming from the East under the guidance of a star, and adoring the Infant of Bethlehem as the divine King; the mystery of the Baptism of Christ, who, while standing in the waters of the Jordan, was proclaimed by the Eternal Father as Son of God; and thirdly, the mystery of the divine power of this same Jesus, when he changed the water into wine at the marriage feast of Cana. But did these three Mysteries really take place on this day? Is the Sixth of January the real anniversary of these great events? As the chief object of this work is to assist the devotion of the Faithful, we purposely avoid everything which would savor of critical discussion; and with regard to the present question, we think it enough to state that Baronius, Suarez, Theophilus Raynaldus, Honorius De Sancta-Maria, Cardinal Gotti, Sandini, Benedict XIV, and an almost endless list of other writers, assert that the Adoration of the Magi happened on this very day. That the Baptism of our Lord also happened on the sixth of January is admitted by the severest historical critics, even by Tillemont himself; and has been denied by only two or three. The precise day of the miracle at the marriage feast of Cana is far from being as certain as the other two mysteries, though it is impossible to prove that the sixth of January was not the day. For us the children of the Church, it is sufficient that our Holy Mother has assigned the commemoration of these three manifestations for this Feast; we need nothing more to make us rejoice in the triple triumph of the Son of Mary. If we now come to consider these three mysteries of our Feast separately, we shall find that the Church of Rome, in her Office and Mass of today, is more intent on the Adoration of the Magi than on the other two. The two great Doctors of the Apostolic See, St. Leo and St. Gregory, in their Homilies for this Feast, take it as the almost exclusive object of their preaching; though together with St. Augustine, St. Paulinus of Nola, St. Maximus of Turin, St. Peter Chrysologus, St. Hilary of Arles, and St. Isidore of Seville, they acknowledge the three mysteries of today’s Solemnity. That the mystery of the Vocation of the Gentiles should be made thus prominent by the Church of Rome is not to be wondered at; for by that heavenly vocation which, in the three Magi, called all nations to the admirable light of Faith, Rome, which till then had been the head of the Gentile world, was made the head of the Christian Church and of the whole human race. The Greek Church makes no special mention, in her Office of today, of the Adoration of the Magi, for she unites it with the mystery of our Savior’s Birth in her celebration of Christmas Day. The Baptism of Christ absorbs all her thoughts and praises on the solemnity of the Epiphany. In the Latin Church, this second mystery of our Feast is celebrated, unitedly with the other two, on the sixth of January, and mention is made of it several times in the Office. But as the coming of the Magi to the crib of our newborn King absorbs the attention of Christian Rome on this day, the mystery of the sanctification of the waters was to be commemorated on a day apart. The day chosen by the Western Church for paying special honor to the Baptism of our Savior is the Octave of the Epiphany. The third mystery of the Epiphany being also somewhat kept in the shade by the prominence given to the first (though allusion is several times made to it in the Office of the Feast), a special day has been appointed for its due celebration; and that day is the second Sunday after the Epiphany. Several Churches have appended to the Mystery of changing the water into wine that of the multiplication of the loaves, which certainly bears some analogy with it, and was a manifestation of our Savior’s divine power. But while tolerating the custom in the Ambrosian and Mozarabic rites, the Roman Church has never adopted it, in order not to interfere with the sacredness of the triple triumph of our Lord, which the sixth of January was intended to commemorate; as also because St. John tells us, in his Gospel, that the miracle of the multiplication of the Loaves happened when the Feast of the Pasch was at hand, (John 6:4) which therefore could not have any connection with the season of the year when the Epiphany is kept. We propose to treat of the three mysteries, united in this great Solemnity, in the following order. Today we will unite with the Church in honoring all three; during the Octave, we will contemplate the Mystery of the Magi coming to Bethlehem; we will celebrate the Baptism of our Savior on the Octave Day; and we will venerate the Mystery of the Marriage of Cana on the Second Sunday after the Epiphany, which is the day appropriately chosen by the Church for the Feast of the Most Holy Name of Jesus. Let us, then, open our hearts to the joy of this grand Day; and on this Feast of the Theophany, of the Holy Lights, of the Three Kings, let us look with love at the dazzling beauty of our Divine Sun, who, as the Psalmist expresses it, (Psalm 18:6) runs his course as a Giant, and pours out upon us floods of a welcome and yet most vivid light. The Shepherds, who were called by the Angels to be the first worshippers, have been joined by the Prince of Martyrs, the Beloved Disciple, the dear troop of Innocents, our glorious Thomas of Canterbury, and Sylvester the Patriarch of Peace; and now, today, these Saints open their ranks to let the Kings of the East come to the Babe in his crib, bearing with them the prayers and adorations of the whole human race. The humble Stable is too little for such a gathering as this, and Bethlehem seems to be worth all the world besides. Mary, the Throne of the divine Wisdom, welcomes all the members of this court with her gracious smile of Mother and Queen; she offers her Son to man, for his adoration, and to God, that he may be well pleased. God manifests himself to men because he is great; but he manifests himself by Mary because he is full of mercy. The great Day, which now brings us to the crib of our Prince of Peace, has been marked by two great events of the first ages of the Church. It was on the sixth of January, in the year 361, and Julian (who, in heart, was already an apostate) happened to be at Vienne, in Gaul. He was soon to ascend the imperial throne, which would be left vacant by the death of Constantius, and he felt the need he had of the support of that Christian Church in which it is said he had received the order of Lector, and which, nevertheless, he was preparing to attack with all the cunning and cruelty of a tiger. Like Herod, he too would fain go, on this Feast of the Epiphany, and adore the newborn King. His panegyrist Ammianus Marcellinus tell us that this crowned Philosopher, who had been seen, just before, coming out of the pagan temple, where he had been consulting the soothsayers, made his way through the porticoes of the Church and, standing in the midst of the faithful people, offered to the God of the Christians his sacrilegious homage. Eleven years later, in the year 372, another Emperor found his way into the Church, on the same Feast of the Epiphany. It was Valens; a Christian, like Julian, by baptism; but a persecutor, in the name of Arianism, of that same Church which Julian persecuted in the name of his vain philosophy and still vainer gods. As Julian felt himself necessitated by motives of worldly policy to bow down, on this day, before the divinity of the Galilean; so, on this same day, the holy courage of a saintly Bishop made Valens prostrate himself at the feet of Jesus the King of Kings. Saint Basil had just then had his famous interview with the Prefect Modestus, in which his episcopal intrepidity had defeated all the might of earthly power. Valens had come to Cæsarea and, with his soul defiled with the Arian heresy, he entered the Basilica when the Bishop was celebrating, with his people, the glorious Theophany. Let us listen to St. Gregory Nazianzum, thus describing the scene with his usual eloquence. “The Emperor entered the Church. The chanting of the psalms echoed through the holy place like the rumbling of thunder. The people, like a waving sea, filled the house of God. Such was the order and pomp in and about the sanctuary, that it looked more like heaven than earth. Basil himself stood erect before the people, as the Scripture describes Samuel—his body, and eyes, and soul, motionless as though nothing strange had taken place, and if I may say so, his whole being was fastened to his God and the holy Altar. The sacred ministers, who surrounded the Pontiff, were in deep recollectedness and reverence. The Emperor heard and saw all this. He had never before witnessed a spectacle so imposing. He was overpowered. His head grew dizzy, and darkness veiled his eyes.” Jesus, the King of ages, the Son of God and the Son of Mary had conquered. Valens was disarmed; his resolution of using violence against the holy Bishop was gone; and if heresy kept him from at once adoring the Word consubstantial to the Father, he at least united his exterior worship with that which Basil’s flock was paying to the Incarnate God. When the Offertory came, he advanced towards the Sanctuary and presented his gifts to Christ in the person of his holy priest. The fear lest Basil might refuse to accept them took such possession of the Emperor that, had not the sacred ministers supported him, he would have fallen at the foot of the Altar. Thus has the Kingship of our newborn Savior been acknowledged by the great ones of this world. The Royal Psalmist had sung this prophecy—the Kings of the earth shall serve him, and his enemies shall lick the ground under his feet. (Psalm 71:9, 11) The race of Emperors like Julian and Valens was to be followed by Monarchs who would bend their knee before this Babe of Bethlehem, and offer him the homage of orthodox faith and devoted hearts. Theodosius, Charlemagne, our own Alfred the Great and Edward the Confessor, Stephen of Hungary, the Emperor Henry II, Ferdinand of Castile, Louis IX of France, are examples of Kings who had a special devotion to the feast of the Epiphany. Their ambition was to go, in company with the Magi, to the feet of the Divine Infant, and offer him their gifts. At the English Court, the custom is still retained, and the reigning Sovereign offers an ingot of God as a tribute to Jesus the King of kings: the ingot is afterwards redeemed by a certain sum of money. But this custom of imitating the Three Kings in their mystic gifts was not confined to Courts. In the Middle Ages, the Faithful used to present, on the Epiphany, gold, frankincense, and myrrh, to be blessed by the Priest. These token of their devotedness to Jesus were kept as pledges of God’s blessing upon their houses and families. The practice is still observed in some parts of Germany: and the prayer for the Blessing was in the Roman Ritual until Pope Paul V suppressed it, together with several others, as being seldom required by the Faithful. There was another custom, which originated in the Ages of Faith, and which is still observed in many countries. In honor of the Three Kings who came from the East to adore the Babe of Bethlehem, each family chose one of its members to be King. The choice was thus made. The family kept a feast, which was an allusion to the third of the Epiphany Mysteries—the Feast of Cana in Galilee—a Cake was served up, and he who took the piece which had a certain secret mark was proclaimed the King of the day. Two portions of the cake were reserved for the poor, in whom honor was thus paid to the Infant Jesus and his Blessed Mother; for on this Day of the triumph of Him who, though King, was humble and poor, it was fitting that the poor should have a share in the general joy. The happiness of home was here, as in so many other instances, blended with the sacredness of Religion. This custom of King’s Feast brought relations and friends together, and encouraged feelings of kindness and charity. Human weakness would sometimes, perhaps, show itself during these hours of holiday making; but the idea and sentiment and spirit of the whole feast was profoundly Catholic, and that was sufficient guarantee to innocence. King’s Feast is still a Christmas joy in thousands of families; and happy those where it is kept in the Christian spirit which first originated it! For the last four hundred years, a puritanical zeal has decried these simple customs wherein the seriousness of religion and the home enjoyments of certain Festivals were blended together. The traditions of Christian family rejoicings have been blamed under pretexts of abuse; as though a recreation, in which religion had no share and no influence, were less open to intemperance and sin! Others have pretended (though with little or no foundation) that the Twelfth Cake and the custom of choosing a King are mere imitations of the ancient pagan Saturnalia. Granting this to be correct (which it is not), we would answer that many of the old pagan customs have undergone a Christian transformation, and no one thinks of refusing to accept them thus purified. All this mistaken zeal has produced the sad effect of divorcing the Church from family life and customs, of excluding every religious manifestation from our traditions, and of bringing about what is so pompously called (though the word is expressive enough) the secularization of society. But let us return to the triumph of our sweet Savior and King. His magnificence is manifested to us so brightly on this Feast! Our mother, the Church, is going to initiate us into the mysteries we are to celebrate. Let us imitate the faith and obedience of the Magi: let us adore, with the holy Baptist, the divine Lamb, over whom the heavens open: let us take our place at the mystic feast of Cana, where our dear King is present, thrice manifested, thrice glorified. In the last two mysteries, let us not lose sight of the Babe of Bethlehem; and in the Babe of Bethlehem let us cease not to recognize the Great God (in whom the Father was well pleased) and the supreme Ruler and Creator of all things. The Church begins the Solemnity of the Epiphany by singing First Vespers. FIRST VESPERS OF THE EPIPHANY 1. ANT. The Lord our Savior, begotten before the day-star and all ages, appeared to the world on this day. Psalm: Dixit Dominus 2. ANT. Thy light is come, O Jerusalem, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee; and the Gentiles shall walk in thy light. Alleluia. Psalm: Confitebor tibi 3. ANT. Opening their treasures, the Magi offered to the Lord gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Alleluia. Psalm: Beatus vir 4. ANT. Ye seas, and rivers, bless the Lord: ye fountains, sing a hymn to the Lord. Alleluia. Psalm: Laudate pueri 5. ANT. This star shineth as a flame, and pointeth out God, the King of kings: the Magi saw it, and offered gifts to the great King. PSALM 116 O praise the Lord, all ye nations: praise him, all ye people. For his mercy is confirmed upon us: and the truth of the Lord remaineth forever. The holy Church — after having thus celebrated the power given to the Divine Babe over kings, whom he shall break, in the day of his wrath; his covenant with the Gentiles, whom he will give as an inheritance to his Church; the light that is risen up in darkness; his Name blessed from the rising to the setting of the sun; and after having, on this the day of the Vocation of the Gentiles, invited all nations, and all people, to praise the eternal mercy and truth of God; — addresses herself to Jerusalem, the figure of the Church, and conjures her, by the Prophet Isaias, to take advantage of the Light, which has this day risen upon the whole human race. CAPITULUM (Isaiah 60) Arise, be enlightened, O Jerusalem, for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee. Then follows the Hymn. It is the beautiful one composed by Sedulius, of which we sang the opening stanzas in the Lauds of Christmas Day. In the verses selected for the present Feast, the Church celebrates the three Epiphanies: Bethlehem, the Jordan, and Cana, each, in its turn, manifested the glory of Jesus, our great King. HYMN Cruel tyrant Herod! why tremblest thou at the coming of the King, our God? He that gives men a heavenly kingdom, takes not from kings their earthly ones. On went the Magi, following the Star that went before them, and which they had seen in the East. They seek by this light Him that is the Light, and, by their gifts, acknowledge him to be God. The heavenly Lamb touched the pure stream, wherein he deigned to be baptized: it is we whom he hereby washes from our sins, for he could have none to be cleansed. At Cana, he showed a new sort of power: the water in the vases at the feast turns red; and, when ordered to be poured out, lo! it had changed its nature, and was wine. Glory be to thee, O Jesus, that manifestest thyself to the Gentiles: and to the Father, and to the Spirit of love, for everlasting ages. Amen. ℣. The kings of Tharsis, and the islands, shall offer presents. ℟. The kings of the Arabians and of Saba shall bring gifts. ANTIPHON OF THE MAGNIFICAT The Magi, seeing the Star, said to each other: This is the sign of the great King: let us go and seek him, and offer him gifts, gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Alleluia. The Canticle Magnificat (this volume). COLLECT O God, who by the direction of a star didst this day manifest thy only Son to the Gentiles; mercifully grant, that we, who now know thee by faith, may come at length to see the glory of thy Majesty. Through the same, etc. The Church has thus opened her chants in honor of the divine Theophany. Tomorrow, the offering of the great Sacrifice will unite us all in the prayers we present to our King and Savior. Let us finish this day in recollection and joy. The Matins for the Epiphany are exceedingly rich and magnificent; but, as the Faithful do not assist at them, we will not give them. At Milan, they are sung during the Night, like the Christmas Matins, and are also composed of three Nocturns — contrary to the custom of the Ambrosian Liturgy, which has only one Nocturn at Matins. The people assist at them, and, altogether, these holy Vigils are kept up with almost as much devotion as those of Christmas Night. JANUARY 6 The day of the Magi, the day of the Baptism, the day of the Marriage Feast, has come: our divine Sun of Justice reflects upon the world these three bright rays of his glory. Material darkness is less than it was; Night is losing her power; Light is progressing day by day. Our sweet Infant Jesus, who is still lying in his humble crib, is each day gaining strength. Mary showed him to the shepherds, and now she is going to present him to the Magi. The gifts we intend to offer him should be prepared; let us, like the three Wise Men, follow the star and go to Bethlehem, the House of the Bread of Life. MASS At Rome, the Station is at St. Peter’s on the Vatican, near the tomb of the Prince of the Apostles, to whom, in Christ, all nations have been given as an inheritance. The Church proclaims, in the opening chant of the Mass, the arrival of the great King for whom the whole earth was in expectation, and at whose Birth the Magi are come to Jerusalem, there to consult the prophecies. INTROIT Behold the Lord the Ruler is come: and dominion, and power, and empire, are in his hand. Ps. Give to the King thy judgment, O God, and to the King’s Son thy justice. Glory. Behold. After the Angelic Hymn, Gloria in excelsis, the holy Church, all in gladness at the bright Star which leads the Gentiles to the crib of the Divine King, prays, in the Collect, that she may be permitted to see that living Light for which faith prepares us, and which will enlighten us for all eternity. COLLECT O God, who by the direction of a star, didst this day manifest thy only Son to the Gentiles: mercifully grant, that we, who now know thee by faith, may come at length to see the glory of thy Majesty. Through the same, etc. EPISTLE Lesson from the Prophet Isaias 60:1-6 Arise, be enlightened, O Jerusalem: for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee. For behold darkness shall cover the earth, and a mist the people: but the Lord shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee. And the Gentiles shall walk in thy light, and kings in the brightness of thy rising. Lift up thy eyes round about, and see: all these are gathered together, they are come to thee: thy sons shall come from afar, and thy daughters shall rise up at thy side. Then shalt thou see, and abound, and thy heart shall wonder and be enlarged, when the multitude of the sea shall be converted to thee, the strength of the Gentiles shall come to thee. The multitude of camels shall cover thee, the dromedaries of Madian and Epha: all they from Saba shall come, bringing gold and frankincense: and shewing forth praise to the Lord. Oh! the greatness of this glorious Day, on which begins the movement of all nations towards the Church, the true Jerusalem! Oh! the mercy of our heavenly Father, who has been mindful of all these people that were buried in the shades of death and sin! Behold! the glory of the Lord has risen upon the Holy City; and Kings set out to find and see the Light. Jerusalem is not large enough to hold all this sea of nations; another city must be founded, and towards her shall be turned the countless Gentiles of Madian and Epha. Thou, O Rome! art this Holy City, and thy heart shall wonder and be enlarged. Heretofore, thy victories have won thee slaves; but from this day forward, thou shalt draw within thy walls countless Children. Lift up thine eyes and see—all these, that is, the whole human race, give themselves to thee as thy sons and daughters; they come to receive from thee a new birth. Open wide thine arms, and embrace them that come from North and South, bringing frankincense to Him who is thy King and ours. GRADUAL All shall come from Saba, bringing gold and frankincense, and publishing the praises of the Lord. ℣. Arise, be enlightened, O Jerusalem, for the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee. Alleluia, alleluia. ℣. We saw his star in the east, and are come, with our offerings, to adore the Lord. Alleluia. GOSPEL Sequel of the holy Gospel according to St. Matthew 2:1-12 When Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Juda, in the days of king Herod, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem. Saying, Where is he that is born king of the Jews? For we have seen his star in the east, and are come to adore him. And king Herod hearing this, was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. And assembling together all the chief priests and the scribes of the people, he inquired of them where Christ should be born. But they said to him: In Bethlehem of Juda. For so it is written by the prophet: And thou Bethlehem the land of Juda art not the least among the princes of Juda: for out of thee shall come forth the captain that shall rule my people Israel. Then Herod, privately calling the wise men, learned diligently of them the time of the star which appeared to them; And sending them into Bethlehem, said: Go and diligently inquire after the child, and when you have found him, bring me word again, that I also may come to adore him. Who having heard the king, went their way; and behold the star which they had seen in the east, went before them, until it came and stood over where the child was. And seeing the star they rejoiced with exceeding great joy. And entering into the house, they found the child with Mary his mother, and falling down they adored him; and opening their treasures, they offered him gifts; gold, frankincense, and myrrh. And having received an answer in sleep that they should not return to Herod, they went back another way into their country. The Magi, the first-fruits of the Gentile world, have been admitted into the court of the great King whom they have been seeking, and we have followed them. The Child has smiled upon us, as he did upon them. All the fatigues of the long journey—which man must take to reach his God—all are over and forgotten; our Emmanuel is with us, and we are with him. Bethlehem has received us, and we will not leave her again—for in Bethlehem, we have the Child, and Mary his Mother. Where else could we find riches like these that Bethlehem gives us? Oh! let us beseech this incomparable Mother to give us this Child of hers (for he is our light, and our love, and our Bread of Life), now that we are about to approach the Altar, led by the Star of our faith. Let us at once open our treasures; let us prepare our gold, our frankincense, and our myrrh, for the sweet Babe, our King. He will be pleased with our gifts, and we know he never suffers himself to be outdone in generosity. When we have to return to our duties, we will, like the Magi, leave our hearts with our Jesus; and it shall be by another way, by a new manner of life, that we will finish our sojourn in this country of our exile, looking forward to that happy day when life and light eternal will come and absorb into themselves the shadows of vanity and time, which now hang over us. In Cathedral and other principal Churches, after the Gospel has been sung, the approaching Feast of Easter Sunday is solemnly announced to the people. This custom, which dates from the earliest ages of the Church, shows both the mysterious connection which unites the great Solemnities of the year one with another, and the importance the Faithful ought to attach to the celebration of that which is the greatest of all and the center of all Religion. After having honored the King of the universe on the Epiphany, we shall have to celebrate him, on the day which is now announced to us as the conqueror of death. The following is the formula used for this solemn announcement. The Announcement of Easter Know, dearly beloved Brethren, that by the mercy of God, as we have been rejoicing in the Nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ, so also do we announce unto you the joy of the Resurrection, of the same our Savior. Septuagesima Sunday will be on the … day of … Ash Wednesday and the beginning of the fast of most holy Lent will be on the … of … On the … of … we shall celebrate with joy the holy Pasch of our Lord Jesus Christ. The Diocesan Synod will be held on the second Sunday after Easter. The Ascension of our Lord Jesus Christ will be on the … of … The Feast of Pentecost on the … of … The Feast of Corpus Christi on the … of … On the … of … will occur the first Sunday of the Advent of our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom are honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen. During the Offertory, the holy Church, while presenting the Bread and Wine to God, makes use of the words of the Psalmist, who prophesies that the Kings of Tharsis, Arabia, and Saba, together with the kings and people of the whole earth, would come to the newborn Savior and offer him their gifts. OFFERTORY The Kings of Tharsis, and the islands, shall offer presents: the Kings of the Arabians and of Saba shall bring gifts: and all the Kings of the earth shall adore him; all nations shall serve him. SECRET Mercifully look down, O Lord, we beseech thee, on the offerings of thy Church, among which gold, frankincense, and myrrh, are no longer offered: but what is signified by these offerings, is sacrificed, and received—Jesus Christ, thy Son, our Lord. Who liveth, etc. There is a proper Preface for the Feast and Octave of the Epiphany. It celebrates the Divine and immortal Light that appeared through the veil of our human nature, under which the Word, out of love for us, concealed his glory. PREFACE It is truly meet and just, right and available to salvation, that we should always, and in all places, give thanks to thee, O Holy Lord, Almighty Father, Eternal God; because when thine Only Begotten Son appeared in the substance of our mortal flesh, he repaired us by the new light of his immortality. And therefore, with the Angels and Archangels, with the Thrones and Dominations, and with all the heavenly host, we sing a hymn to thy glory, saying unceasingly: Holy, Holy, Holy. During the Communion, the holy Church, now united to Him who is her King and Spouse, sings the praises of that Star which was the messenger of this Jesus; she is full of joy that she followed its light, for it has brought her to her God. COMMUNION We have seen his star in the East: and are come with offerings to adore the Lord. Such graces as these that you have received require from you a corresponding fidelity; the Church asks it for you in her Postcommunion; she begs of God to give you that spiritual understanding and purity which these ineffable mysteries call for. POSTCOMMUNION Grant, we beseech thee, O Almighty God, that our minds may be so purified, as to understand what we celebrate on this great solemnity. Through, etc. SECOND VESPERS OF THE EPIPHANY The Second Vespers of our great Feast are almost exactly the same as the First. The same Antiphons tell us of the Theophany, the divine Apparition, here below, of that eternal Word, begotten before the day-star, and come down to us to be our Savior; of the glory of the Lord that has risen upon Jerusalem, and of the Gentiles walking in the light he gives them; of the Magi opening their treasures, and laying their mystic gifts at the feet of the Child our King; of the seas, and rivers, and fountains, that are sanctified by the baptism of the God-Man; and lastly, of the wonderful brightness of the star, which points out the King of kings. But the fifth Psalm is changed. Instead of the Psalm, which yesterday invited all nations to praise the Lord, the Church sings the 113th, In exitu Israel, (p. 93) wherein the Royal Prophet, after having commemorated the deliverance of Israel, denounces the idols of the Gentiles as the works of the hands of men; all are to fall at the approach of Jesus. The adoption granted to Jacob is now extended to all nations. God will bless, not only the house of Israel, and the house of Aaron, but all that fear the Lord, no matter of what race or nation they may be. The Antiphons and Psalms are, therefore, as in First Vespers, (page 116,) excepting the fifth Psalm, which is In exitu Israel, (page 93). The Capitulum is, also, as in First Vespers, page 117. The Hymn, Crudelis Herodes, after the Capitulum. After the Hymn, the following versicle: ℣. The Kings of Tharsis, and the islands, shall offer presents. ℟. The Kings of the Arabians and of Saba shall bring gifts. In the Antiphon of our Lady’s Canticle, the Church once more commemorates the triple mystery of today’s solemnity. ANTIPHON OF THE MAGNIFICAT Ant. We celebrate a festival adorned by three miracles: this day, a star led the Magi to the manger; this day, water was changed into wine at the marriage-feast; this day, Christ vouchsafed to be baptized by John in the Jordan, for our salvation. Alleluia. LET US PRAY O God, who by the direction of a star, didst this day manifest thy only Son to the Gentiles: mercifully grant, that we, who now know thee by faith, may come at length to see the glory of thy Majesty. Through the same, &c. On each day during the Octave of this great Feast, we intend giving portions from the ancient Liturgies which were used by the several Churches in honor either of the triple mystery of the Epiphany, or of the coming of the Wise Men to Bethlehem, or of the Baptism of Christ. Some of these pieces were upon the Birth of the Infant God, or upon the Maternity of the Holy Virgin. We commence our selection for today by the Hymn composed by St. Ambrose; it is used by the Church of Milan. HYMN Most High God! thou that enkindlest the fires of the shining stars! O Jesus! thou that art life, and light, and truth, hear and grant our prayers. This present day has been made holy by thy mystic Baptism, whereby thou didst sanctify those waters of the Jordan, which, of old, were thrice turned back. It is holy by the Star shining in the heavens, whereby thou didst announce thy Virginal Mother’s delivery, and didst, on this same day, lead the Magi to adore thee in thy Crib. It is holy, too, by thy changing the water of the pitchers into wine; which the steward of the feast, knowing that he had not so filled them, drew forth for the guests. Glory be to thee, O Lord Jesus! that didst appear on this Day! and to the Father and to the Holy Ghost, for everlasting ages. Amen. The following Preface is from the Sacramentary of St. Gelasius. PREFACE It is truly meet and just, right and available to salvation, that we give thee praise, O Lord, for that thou art wonderful in all thy works, whereby thou hast revealed the mysteries of thy Kingdom. Thus it was that a Star, the messenger of the Virginal Delivery, was the forerunner of this Feast; a Star, which proclaimed to the wondering Magi, that the Lord of heaven was born on the earth: that thus, the God who was to be manifested unto the world, might both be made known by a heavenly indication, and He that was to be born in time be revealed by the ministry of those signs which serve to mark time. The Sequence-book of the Monastery of St. Gall contains the one we now give : it was composed in the ninth century by the celebrated Notker. SEQUENCE Let the whole of Christendom celebrate the feasts of Christ. They are adorned in a wonderful way, and are venerated by all nations. They commemorate the coming of Him that is Lord of all things, and the vocation of the Gentiles. When Christ was born, a bright star was seen by the Magi. Whereupon, they, knowing that the splendor of such a sign could not be unmeaning, Take with them gifts, and offer them to the Little Child, as the King foretold by the star of heaven. Passing by the golden couch of a haughty prince, they set out in search of the Crib of Christ. At this, the cruel Herod boils with anger; he is jealous of the new-born King. He commands the male children of Bethlehem to be cruelly put to death by the sword. O Jesus! what an army wilt thou not levy for thy Father, when in the fullness of thine age thou shalt carry on the supreme battle, preaching thy doctrines to mankind!—for even now that thou art a weak Babe thou sendest such a host. Having reached his thirtieth year, this great God bowed himself down beneath the hand of his glorious servant; thus consecrating Baptism for us, unto the remission of our sins. Lo! the Spirit visits him in the form of the innocent dove: he is about to anoint him above all the Saints, and will abide with everlasting love in the dwelling of that Breast. The loving voice of the Father is also heard; and those ancient words: it repents me that I made man, are now forgotten. “Thou art,” he says, “my Son, my beloved, in whom I am well pleased. This day, my Son! have I begotten thee. “All ye people, hear this your Teacher.” Amen. The Menæa of the Greek Church give us the following fine stanzas in the Hymn for the Nativity of our Lord. IN NATALI DOMINI I hear the Angels singing at Bethlehem Gloria in excelsis Deo! I hear them tell us, that there is peace on earth, to men of good will. Oh! see that Virgin, she is lovelier than the heavens: for, from her has risen a Light to them that sat in darkness, exalting humble hearts that sing, as did the Angels, Gloria in excelsis Deo! Rejoice, O Israel! Sing forth praise, all ye that love Sion! The chain of Adam’s condemnation is broken; Paradise is opened to us; the Serpent is weakened, for woman, whom he had deceived in the beginning, is now before his gaze the Mother of the Creator. Oh! the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! She that had brought Death, the work of sin, into all flesh, is now, through the Mother of God, made the source of salvation. For, of Her is born a Little Child, who is the all-perfect God, and who, by his Birth, did but consecrate the Virginity of his Mother; by his swathing-bands, he loosened the chains of sin; and by his own Infancy, he comforted the pangs of child-birth to sorrowing Eve. Let every creature now keep choir and be glad, for Christ is come that he may reclaim mankind, and save our souls. Thy Nativity, Lord our God! brought to the world the light of knowledge; for, by it, they that had adored the stars, were taught, by a Star, to adore thee, the Sun of Justice, and acknowledge thee as the Orient from on high. Glory be to thee, O Lord! Eden has been opened in Bethlehem! Come, let us go and see; we shall find the hidden Treasure. Come, let us go and possess in the Cave the things that are in Paradise. Here it is that there has appeared the un-watered Root, that has budded forth our pardon. Here is the well not dug by human hand, of whose water David heretofore desired to drink. Here a Virgin has brought forth a Child, by whom she quickly slakes the thirst of Adam and David. Therefore, let us go with quicker haste to the place where is born the new Babe, who is God before all ages. Rejoice, ye just; be glad, ye heavens; exult, ye mountains! Christ is born. The Virgin, cherub-like, sits bearing on her lap God, the Word made Flesh. The Shepherds are giving glory to the Babe. The Magi are offering gifts to the Lord. The Angels are singing this hymn: O Incomprehensible God! glory be to thee. Let us recite the following Prose, composed by the pious Monk Herman Contract: it will assist us to honor the ever Blessed Mother of our Jesus. SEQUENCE Hail, Mary! beautiful Star of the Sea! that hast risen, by God’s mercy, to give light to all nations. Welcome! O Gate open to none but God! Thou bringest into the world the Light of truth, the very Sun of Justice, clad in human flesh. O Virgin! thou beauty of the world, Queen of heaven, brilliant as the Sun, lovely as the moon’s brightness! think on all us who love thee. The ancient Fathers and Prophets, full of faith, longed for thee to be born, the Rod of the fair root of Jesse. Gabriel spoke of thee as the Tree of Life, that, by the dew of the Holy Spirit, shouldst bring forth the divine flowering Almond Tree. ‘Twas thou didst lead the Lamb, the King that rules the earth, from the rock of the desert of Moab to the mount of the daughter of Sion. ‘Twas thou didst free the world of its destroying sin, by crushing the angry Leviathan, the crooked and bar Serpent. We, therefore, the remnants of the nations, in honor of thy dear memory, call down upon our altar, there to be mystically immolated, the Lamb that reigns eternally in heaven, whom thou didst so wonderfully bring forth. The veil is now drawn aside, and we, the true Israelites, the children of the true Abraham, are permitted to fix our astonished eyes on the true Manna, of which that of Moses was the figure and type. Pray for us, Virgin, that we may be made worthy of that Bread of heaven. Pray for us, that, with sincere faith, we may taste of that sweet fountain, which was prefigured by the rock in the desert; and that, having our loins girt, we may safely cross the sea, and be permitted to look upon the brazen serpent on the Cross. Having our sandals off our feet, and our lips and hearts made pure, pray for us, that we may come nigh to that holy flame, the Word of the Father, which thou, O Virgin Mother, didst carry within thee, as the Bush did the fire. Hear us, O Mary! for thy Son honors thee by granting thee all thy prayers. And thou, O Jesus! save us, for whom thy Virgin Mother prays. Grant us to see the source of every good! Grant us to fix on thee the eyes of our purified souls. May our souls drink in the water of wisdom, and feed with understanding on the sweet food of Life. Do thou, Creator of the world! give us grace to adorn our Christian faith with works and by a happy death, to pass from this life’s exile to thee. Amen. Like the Magi, we also, O Jesus! come to adore thee on this glorious Epiphany, which brings all nations to thy feet. We walk in the footsteps of the Magi; for we, too, have seen the Star, and we are come to thee. Glory be to thee, dear King! to thee who didst say in the Canticle of David thine ancestor: “I am appointed King over Sion, the holy mountain, that I may preach the commandment of the Lord. The Lord hath said to me, that he will give me the Gentiles for mine inheritance, and the utmost parts of the earth for my possession. Now, therefore, O ye kings, understand: receive instruction, ye that judge the earth.” (Psalm 2:6, 8, 10) Thou wilt say, O Emmanuel! with thine own lips: All power is given to me in heaven and on earth, (Matthew 28:18) and a few years after, the whole earth will have received thy law. Even now Jerusalem is troubled; Herod is trembling on his throne; but the day is at hand when the heralds of thy coming will go throughout the whole world, proclaiming that He, who was the Desired of all nations, (Haggai 2:8) is come. The word that is to subject the earth to thee, will go forth, (Psalm 18:5) and, like an immense fire, will stretch to the uttermost parts of the universe. In vain will the strong ones of this world attempt to arrest its course. An Emperor will propose to the Senate, ad the only means of staying the progress of thy conquests, that thy Name be solemnly enrolled in the list of those gods, whom thou comest to destroy. Other Emperors will endeavor to abolish thy kingdom by the slaughter of thy soldiers. But, all these efforts are vain. The day will come, when the Cross, the sign of thy power, will adorn the imperial banner; the Emperors will lay their crown at thy feet; and proud Rome will cease to be the Capital of the empire of this world’s strength and power, in order that she may become, forever, the center of thy peaceful and universal kingdom. We already see the dawn of that glorious day. Thy conquests, O King of ages! begin with thine Epiphany. Thou callest, from the extreme parts of the unbelieving East, the first-fruits of that Gentile-world, which hitherto had not been thy people, and which is now to form thine inheritance. Henceforth, there is to be no distinction of Jew and Greek, of Barbarian and Scythian. (Colossians 3:11) Thou hast loved Man above Angel, for thou hast redeemed the one, while thou hast left the other in his fall. If thy predilection, for a long period of ages, was for the race of Abraham, henceforth thy preference is to be given to the Gentiles. Israel was but a single people; we are numerous as the sands of the sea, and the stars of the firmament. (Genesis 22:17) Israel was under the law of fear; thou hast reserved the law of love for us. From this day of thy Manifestation, O divine King! begins thy separation from the Synagogue, which refuses thy love; and on this same Day, thou takest, in the person of the Magi, the Gentiles as thy Spouse. Thy union with her will soon be proclaimed from the Cross, when, turning thy face from the ungrateful Jerusalem, thou wilt stretch forth thy hands towards the nations of the Gentiles. O ineffable joy of thy Birth! but O still better joy of thine Epiphany, wherein we, the once disinherited, are permitted to approach to thee, offer thee our gifts, and see thee graciously accept them, O merciful Emmanuel! Thanks be to thee, O Infant God! for that unspeakable gift (2 Corinthians 9:15) of Faith, which, as thy Apostle teaches us, hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into thy kingdom, making us partakers of the lot of the Saints in Light. (Colossians 1:12-13) Give us grace to grow in the knowledge of this thy Gift, and to understand he importance of this great Day, whereon thou makest alliance with the whole human race, which thou wouldst afterwards make thy Bride by espousing her. Oh! the Mystery of this Marriage Feast, dear Jesus! “ A Marriage,” says Innocent III, one of thy Vicars on earth, “that was promised to the Patriarch Abraham, confirmed by oath to King David, accomplished in Mary when she became Mother, and consummated, confirmed, and declared, on this day; consummated in the adoration of the Magi, confirmed in the Baptism in the Jordan, and declared in the miracle of the water changed into wine.” On this Marriage-Feast,—where the Church, thy Spouse, already received queenly honors—we will sing to thee, O Jesus! with all the fervor of our hearts, these words of today’s Office, which sweetly blend the Three Mysteries into one—that of thy Alliance with us. Antiphon of Lauds ANT. This day, is the Church united to the heavenly Spouse, for Christ, in the Jordan, washes away her sins: the Magi run to the royal Nuptials with their gifts: and the guests of the Feast are gladdened by the water changed into wine. Alleluia. This text is taken from The Liturgical Year, authored by Dom Prosper Guéranger (1841-1875). LifeSiteNews is grateful to The Ecu-Men website for making this classic work easily available online.

Shock can reveal itself in many unique ways. It may be a loss for words or a shaking of the head — one that resonates with me the most is laughter. Abraham and Sarah experienced this laughter in Genesis 17:15-19 (NKJV): Then God said to Abraham, “As for Sarai your wife, you shall not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall be her name. And I will bless her and also give you a son by her; then I will bless her, and she shall be a mother of nations; kings of peoples shall be from her.” Then Abraham fell on his face and laughed, and said in his heart, “Shall a child be born to a man who is one hundred years old? And shall Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear a child?” And Abraham said to God, “Oh, that Ishmael might live before You!” Then God said: “No, Sarah your wife shall bear you a son, and you shall call his name Isaac; I will establish My covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, and with his descendants after him." As a backstory, God had given Abraham a promise that he would be a great nation (Genesis 12:2) and that his offspring would be as the dust of the earth (Genesis 13:16). The only issue was that Abraham and Sarah were well beyond their childbearing years. As God shared this promise, Abraham fell in reverence to God and laughed in awe of this news. God then shared the impossible with Abraham that he and his wife would have a son of their own named Isaac. Abraham chose to believe the Lord, “and He accounted it to him for righteousness” (Genesis 15:6). God demonstrated the impossible for me in 2016, during my freshman year of college at Regent University. I ran track and field and cross country all four years of high school. However, during my senior year, I faced the harsh reality that I would not be a college athlete. While the passion was there, my times were not where they needed to be, and on top of that, I would soon be attending a university with no athletic program. During my first two months of college, I ran drills and sprints around campus, reminiscing on my former days.  To my surprise, two months later, I got the message that Regent University was starting its first-ever athletics program, beginning with track and field! To this news, I laughed in wonder. My mind raced with questions. “Are you serious? Am I about to be a collegiate athlete? We don’t even own an athletic facility; where will we practice?”  During this season, I witnessed that God can make all things possible. He allowed me to not only become a collegiate athlete but to make history and leave a legacy for future athletes for years to come. God is truly a God of the impossible. He “is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us.” (Ephesians 3:20).  Will you put your trust in Him today for the impossible? ~ Scripture is quoted from the Holy Bible, New King James Version, copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.